The Port of Turku has completed construction of Pier S1, a new berth designed for large passenger ferries operating between Finland and Sweden.
Built by marine contractor Terramare Boskalis, the structure measures 250 metres in length and 25 metres in width. According to the project team, it is one of the largest newly built passenger ship piers in the Baltic Sea and the first completely new pier constructed at the port in around 30 years.
The berth is supported by steel piles up to 50 metres long driven into the seabed and is wide enough to accommodate the passenger gangway connecting the terminal with visiting vessels. Construction required approximately 12,000 cubic metres of concrete, one million kilograms of reinforcing steel and 13.5 kilometres of steel piles.
During the project, crews carried out extensive piling, concrete works and underwater operations, including the installation of a scour protection structure designed to protect the berth from ship propeller wash. At peak activity, around 50 workers were involved across multiple construction sections.
“Since the old blueprints of the area could not be fully trusted, we were a little worried about what the ground might hold. However, we did not run into any major surprises. The old structures could be cleared out to make way for new ones”, says Jarno Lähdeviita, construction management consultant and infrastructure supervisor for Ramboll’s sub-consultant Valvox Turku.
The project was officially handed over to the Port of Turku on June 15, 2026. The facility is expected to enter service in March 2027, when the first Tallink Silja ferry is scheduled to berth at the new pier.
Meanwhile, the port has already launched its next major infrastructure project, Quay S2, which will involve the reconstruction of the existing Tallink Silja berth.
