Freight News, Logistics, Road, Sea

Big plans for Calais

[ September 29, 2011   //   Chris ]

Work is expected to start next year on Calais Premier, described by its promoters as one of the first direct gateways for distribution between the UK and continental Europe. Claimed as the biggest logistics project in northern France, with a total surface area of 160 hectares, the site is the Turquerie industrial zone, along the Calais-Dunkirk railway line and is strategically placed between Calais Port and the Channel Tunnel.

The Calais urban agglomeration community, Cap Calaisis, has chosen the Lyon property development company DCB International for the construction work. The first, 50 hectare, phase of the project will commence in 2012 and is due for completion by 2013-2014. This first site will be dedicated to logistics activities and transport services, and is expected to have 220,000sq m of logistics warehouses, 50,000sq m of industrial parks, and 11,000sq m of other commercial property. Cap Calaisis is planning to invest £ €2m (£1.8m) on a railway junction at the site as well as modernising the whole Calais-Dunkirk railway line. In addition, the Calais 2015 Port Project, worth £ 350 million (Euros 400million), will extend the port to twice its size.