The tender for the reinforcement of the armour layer of the main breakwater of Ponta Delgada Port was launched today, through the publishing of the respective notice in the Official Gazette.
 
Launched by Portos dos Açores, S.A., the tender has a price of nine million Euros and a completion period of 365 days, counting from the date of the awarding of the contract work or the approval of the safety and health plan.
 
The contract work includes an intervention for the reinforcement of the inflection zone in the so-called "elbow" of the commercial quay, namely the renovation of the sub-layer and the construction of a new armour layer with new 670 Kn Antifer cubes, which are similar to those used in the breakwater head. These blocks will be placed in two layers in a fan-shaped display, with about 120 metres of development at the foot of the slope and about 80 metres at the crest.
 
As part of this work, the Government will also move forward with an additional reinforcement of the armour layer to reduce the danger of overwashing between profile lines 23 and 28, according to the numbering in force at Ponta Delgada Port. The intervention covers an extension of approximately 100 meters, with two layers of 250 Kn tetrapods, whose weight is the approximate of those already in use.
 
The adopted work solution provides the increase in the crest level and the width of the edge of the armour in order to minimise the effects of possible overwashing that might occur at certain times of the year when rough sea conditions are more common.
 
Interested parties now have 35 days to submit their proposals for the completion of the contract work.
 
It should be noted that the last major intervention in the armour layer of Ponta Delgada Port took place between 1997 and 1999, following the damages caused by the major storm that hit the island on December 25, 1996.