Vehicle ferry services at the Portavadie terminal in western Scotland have been suspended from October 19 to November 16 while dredging and slipway works prepare the port for new fully electric ferries.
Caledonian Maritime Assets (CMAL) said CalMac will provide a passenger-only service linking Portavadie Marina and Tarbert (Loch Fyne) Marina during the closure.
Contractor George Leslie mobilised at Portavadie on September 29. Work to widen the marshalling area, which will provide an additional lane, is under way.
The contractor is also preparing for an approximately three-metre widening of the slipway. The programme also includes dredging to ensure the new vessels have the necessary under-keel clearance, improved pedestrian access and new street lighting.
At Colintraive, dredging was completed between October 12 and 15. Work to enable shore power is scheduled to start in November. This work will involve installing a platform for the cable management system, laying underground ducts, and putting in foundations for a new low-voltage switchroom and an SSEN substation.
During the works, the Colintraive–Rhubodach ferry will use the secondary slipway, which is about 50 metres south of the terminal building. CMAL said it expects the current timetable to continue. ABB is expected to deliver the electrical works in spring 2027.
Both terminals are being upgraded under CMAL's small vessel replacement programme (SVRP). Phase one of the programme covers seven electric ferries for the Clyde and Hebrides network, each able to carry up to 150 passengers and 24 cars.
Keels for the fourth and fifth vessels were laid at Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdańsk, Poland, earlier this month. The first vessel, Loch Awe, is due for delivery towards the end of 2027.