Isle of Man Liverpool ferry terminal costs almost double to over £70m

The new terminal is expected to replace the current facilities for the Isle of Man at Liverpool and Birkenhead.

The cost of the Isle of Man ferry terminal in Liverpool is set to increase to £70.6m, which is almost double the original amount.

Work to build the new government-funded landing stage was originally estimated to cost £38m, but Manx politicians will now be asked to approve an additional £32.6m in a sitting of Tynwald.

The Island's Department of Infrastructure has previously said work on the quay wall and the unexpected developments of the coronavirus pandemic were to blame for the delays and rise in costs.

The original completion date for the project was March 2021, but that has now been moved to "middle of 2023" once the funding has been approved.

Planning permission for the project was granted in April 2019.

Once completed, the new facility will accommodate up to 1000 passengers and 200 vehicles and could also be used for emergency backup freight provision if Heysham is inaccessible.

It will also act as a landing stage for the new Steam Packet Company vessel known as the 'Manxman' which is due to be ready in 2023.

The building is the only construction project that the Isle of Man Government has ever committed to outside of the Island.