Port of Cagliari – RO-RO Terminal

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The overall project for the construction of the Ro-Ro terminal of the port of Cagliari comprising of six berths and several maneuvering squares, was divided into two functional units: the first, which included four berths, is the subject of the present Environmental Impact Study.
The construction of the roll-on/roll-off terminal was based on geotechnical interventions of embankment in order to build new areas for yards and quays both on land and at sea and it involved the following challenges:

• the new level designed for ship operations required the lowering of the seabed;
• on the west side of the port, the progress of the coastline inside its internal area was enhanced by the creation of new structures functional to the construction of squares and quays of the Ro-Ro terminal.

It was expected a movement of the internal coastline reaching the dams of the industrial port. This movement was caused by the dredging of the seabed and the construction of a new maneuvering area for a length comprised between 100 and 180 m.

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS

In addition to the planning and design features, the study allowed the analysis and evaluation of the environmental impacts of the work. Considering the type of the intervention and its context, the most important environmental components affected are water, soil and the local ecosystem.
A more detailed analysis was deemed necessary for the assessment of the interactions between the work and the surrounding environment, both during the construction and operation phases. The most relevant aspects of this assessment were:

• alteration of the surface and underground water runoff;
• water quality;
• land occupation;
• alteration of the phytocoenosis of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems;
• noise pollution generated by the induced vehicular traffic.