Barcelona, 3rd January 2007 – ADELTE a world leading designer and manufacturer of passenger boarding bridges for the Cruise and Ferry industries, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, has recently been awarded a contract by the Port Authority of Melilla to design and manufacture two passenger boarding bridges of the HYDRA range for its passenger terminal ‘Estacion Maritima’ currently in construction. ADELTE will deliver these bridges in April 2007, just in time for the cruise season and an expected increase of ferry operations.
The HYDRA Passenger Boarding Bridges are selected for its aesthetics, safety, functionality and ease of access as these bridges will connect the second floor of the passenger terminal with either a cruise or ferry vessel whilst allowing a maximum slope of 12%. In addition to increasing the speed of boarding and disembarking of passengers to and from ferry vessels, the boarding bridges will allow access for people with disabilities and will be able to accommodate large cruise ships. The Spanish Port of Melilla is experiencing a boost in ferry traffic and, after having received its first large cruise call in 2005, it hopes to attract more cruise passengers to visit the historical Spanish enclave on the North-African coast.
“Companies and visitors who will be using these passenger boarding bridges at the Estacion Maritima will perceive a considerable elevated level of customer service. This is in line with our current differentiation strategy of providing quality service at the Port of Melilla”, said José Luis Almazán Palomino, Director of the Port Authority of Melilla.
The HYDRA passenger boarding bridges will comply with international safety regulations and will be able to accommodate passenger vessels of all sizes. Each bridge will consist of two glass enclosed telescopic ramps and two glass enclosed tunnels that automatically adjusts with the movement of the tide and ship to maintain required slope limitations. With a vertical clearance of 5 meters and a horizontal clearance of 6 meters, the bridges will enable constant truck and equipment traffic underneath its structure. ADELTE has delivered HYDRA range boarding bridges for terminals in the ports of Barcelona (Spain) and Brooklyn (NY, USA) and is also currently constructing HYDRA bridges for the Norfolk (Virginia, USA) and Manhattan cruise terminals (NY, USA).
