Haulage firms in eastern England have criticised plans to significantly boost capacity at Immingham Port with a new RoRo terminal without addressing the local roads infrastructure.
The £200+ million freight ferry terminal is due to open in 2028 and the project is seen as a key component of port operator ABP’s plans to strengthen the UK’s supply chains and bring substantial economic benefits regionally as well as nationally.
However, hauliers said one of the main routes south from the port, the A15, is already unfit to handle lorry movements and will worsen when the new terminal opens.
Paul Brewster, director at Estuary Freight Services in North Killingholme, said dozens of its trucks went into Immingham every day and one of the worst stretches was the A15 between the M180 and Caenby Corner: “Immingham is one of the largest ports by tonnage in the country and this second terminal will add an extra 1,200 to 1,500 trucks a day going to the port,” he said.
“The council hasn’t thought about the road structure. It isn’t wide enough and needs dualling.”
Luke Hand, transport manager at Stallingborough-based Handtrans, said no-one was listening to haulage firms about their concerns and described it as “short-sightedness”.
He said: “They are about to increase trailer turnover within Immingham probably by nearly double. Obviously it’s a good thing but the infrastructure has to be there to cope with it and it definitely is not.
“There’s no dual carriageway coming out of Immingham, it’s all single carriageway.
“The A15 is a crucial route for hauliers heading south and it’s dangerous. There are near misses all the time.”
Hand added: Ideally, the whole thing needs dualling but the M180 to Caenby Corner is the bit that is tightest.
“It’s like going down a B road in places. It’s ridiculous and it cambers.”
J.S Highfield in Gainsborough said its vehicles were using Immingham 10 times a day and transport manager Pip Burkitt added: “Obviously the road is not big enough for the traffic we have got right now. It’s not suitable for wide loads.”
Andrew Dawnes, regional director of the Humber ports, said the development at Immingham would provide much-needed additional capacity to meet growing demand from businesses.
“[The new terminal] will strengthen the Humber Estuary’s role in supporting an effective, efficient, competitive and resilient UK Ro-Ro freight sector,” he said.
“It will also respond to the trend for larger and more sustainable Ro-Ro vessels, which require larger port infrastructure and additional landside space.”
North Lincolnshire Council had not responded as we went to press.
