Fitzgerald Constructions Australia has secured a contract from the Port of Melbourne (PoM) to improve efficiency at the Webb Dock East facility.
The aim is to minimise port congestion and accommodate larger vessels at the port.
Under the contract, Fitzgerald will knock down a redundant concrete section and extend the quay line by 71m.
The works are expected to conclude in the third quarter of 2023.
According to Port of Melbourne CEO Saul Cannon, the project is part of a 30-year investment plan to establish a ‘productive port’ that will bolster Victoria’s economy.
Initially, Webb Dock East was designed to be a two-berth terminal. The project is expected to bring back the planned design capacity.
Cannon said: “It’s essential that we ensure our infrastructure responds to global trends, and these works at Webb Dock East do that. We’re meeting present needs and also looking to the future to make the right investments on behalf of the Victorian community.”
The Webb Dock East project is said to be the third of nine projects, which are part of the 2050 Port Development Strategy.
Cannon also stated that Port of Melbourne, which is said to be the country’s largest container and general cargo port, offers $4.4bn (A$6bn) in annual economic benefits to Victoria.
In February 2013, the Victorian Government granted planning approval to Port of Melbourne to begin work on the $1.64bn Webb Dock development in the city.
