The second phase of the construction of the Port of Hambantota, situated about 19 nautical miles north of the key shipping route between the Malacca Strait and the Suez Canal, is expected to be operational in 2014.
The dredging for the second phase was slightly delayed owing to the presence of a huge rock near the entrance to the harbour, which was blasted at a cost of US$ 40 million. The second phase consists of three stages. The first stage will include a 2140 m long quay wall to accommodate four 100,000 ton and two 10,000 ton wharf berths. The second stage will include development of offshore artificial island with an elevation of eight meters.
The third stage will involve the construction of a container oil terminal of 300 m long and 17 m depth four 100,000 DWT container berths and one 100,000 DWT oil wharf and two 30,000 DWT feeder berths. About 400,000 sq meter of roads and a flyover bridge are expected to be completed.
The first stage will include a 2140 m long quay wall to accommodate four 100,000 ton and two 10,000 ton wharf berths.
The port, which is also known as ‘Magampura’, links Asia and Europe, is being constructed in different phases. The project begain in early January 2008. After completion of the entire project, the capacity of the port would be 20 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Units) per year and will be the biggest port constructed on land to date in the 21st, century.
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