ONE of the Mersey Ferry terminals will shut at the end of this year for an “extended period of time”.

Extensive refurbishment works at Seacombe ferry terminal are set to take place in the new year, as part of a major investment to keep services running in the long term.

Ferry services will run only between Liverpool’s Pier Head and Woodside ferry terminal and will be suspended completely for more than two weeks over Christmas and New Year this year.

The work at Seacombe will see the linkspan bridges, which are over 130 years old and coming to the end of their operational life, replaced and the landing stage undergo a major refurbishment, including upgrading the mooring bollards and installing new powered gangways.

The pontoon will be removed from the water to carry out these works.

This should allow the stage to operate for another 25 years before any major maintenance intervention is needed. This will require the terminal to close.

Councillor Liam Robinson, transport portfolio holder for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said the work was vital to secure the future of ferry services.

He said: “The Mersey Ferries are an iconic and important part of our cultural identity in the city region. We know that Coronavirus continues to have a huge impact on everyday life, but we are committed to continuing to invest in the ferries for the future.

“These works at Seacombe are vital to make sure the ferries can continue to operate from there for many years to come.

“We’ve been able to make sure that ferry users will still be able to travel across the river by diverting services to Woodside. I’d like to thank our loyal customers for their patience while the works are carried out.”

The closure will also see work take place to prepare the terminal for the opening of Eureka Mersey!, a new science museum on the site.

Mersey Ferry commuters will still be able to travel cross river as services will be running between the Pier Head and Woodside, Birkenhead for the duration of the works. Cross river services will also operate during the day.

Ferry services will be suspended after the final commuter services on Friday 18 December. They will resume at Woodside from the first commuter service on Monday 4 January 2021. The works are due to be completed in summer 2021.

The same timetable as is currently used at Seacombe will apply to commuter services at Woodside.

Commuters who pay for weekly, monthly and yearly passes will also still benefit from free parking at Woodside.

The move to Woodside will also coincide with the re-opening of the U-Boat Story museum to the public, having been closed since the initial Covid-19 outbreak earlier this year.

Further details about the Seacombe closure can be found on the Mersey Ferries website at www.merseyferries.co.uk/seacombe.