Work on £9m upgrade of Woodside ferry terminal in Birkenhead progresses amid ‘piling work’ in the river and construction of the 52-metre landing stage. Tony McDonough reports

Work on the next stage of the £9m upgrade of Woodside ferry terminal in Birkenhead is progressing with the installation of the new landing stage getting closer.

In November LBN reported that the old landing stage and linkspan bridge had been removed after almost 40 years of service. The 110-tonne linkspan bridge and 45-tonne connecting boom were taken out over two days.

Now the project has moved into a new phase with two piles installed eight metres into the Mersey’s riverbed, using a barge with specialist drilling equipment.

Made of steel and painted with water resistant coatings, the piles are two metres in diameter and 35 metres tall – as high as the North Stand at Everton’s new docklands stadium.

These piles will allow the new landing stage to move up and down with the tide, with minimal sideways movement. They also remove the need for a connecting boom and chains and anchors, reducing the level of maintenance required.

Sections of the new 52-metre-long landing stage pontoon are being constructed in a warehouse in Liverpool. They will then be welded together at Huskisson Dock before they are transported across the river and attached to the new piles.

No Mersey Ferries have called at Woodside, which is close to Hamilton Square in the town, since late 2022 when it was closed ahead of the refurbishment project.

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority oversaw the reopening of the Seacombe Ferry Terminal, just along the Wirral waterfront, in late 2022 following a £7m transformation that saw its 130-year-old linkspan bridges replaced in a major piece of engineering work.

Woodside closed shortly afterwards and, in February this year, LBN reported work on Woodside would begin in the spring. However, the start was further delayed until work finally got underway in October 2024 and is due to last until summer 2025.

Passers-by will also have noticed the ticket office has been demolished and will be replaced with a new modern facility.

Cllr Steve Foulkes, chair of the city region’s Transport Committee, said: “This a major engineering project which our team is delivering alongside our partners, to make sure services can return to Woodside as soon as possible.

“Alongside our plans for a new ferry, these works highlight our commitment to the Mersey Ferries and their importance as a much-beloved cultural asset for our city region.”

The regeneration scheme is being made possible by Levelling Up Funding from Wirral Council, which in 2024 consulted on a masterplan to breathe new life into the area.