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Royal Portbury Dock
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The Royal Portbury Dock is part of the Port of Bristol, in England. It is situated on the southern side of the mouth of the Avon, where the river joins the Severn estuary — the Avonmouth Docks are on the opposite side of the Avon, within Avonmouth. The deepwater dock was constructed between 1972 and 1977, and is now a major port for the import of motor vehicles into the UK. The M5 motorway runs nearby, and the huge car storage compounds around the dock are visible from the Avonmouth Bridge.
The Royal Portbury Dock has the largest entrance lock into any UK port, accommodating vessels up to beam, length and draft.
OperatorThe dock is now operated by The Bristol Port Company, who also operate Avonmouth Docks, and have done since 1991 when they purchased a 150 year lease from Bristol City Council. Between 2000 and 2002 the Portishead Railway was repaired and extended to the dock at a cost of £21 million.
TradesMotor vehicles can be stored on the paved quay areas and delivered to and from the storage compounds without travelling on public roads. In 2004, over 650,000 vehicles were handled for a wide range of customers. During 1996, the motor vehicle trade was awarded the International Quality Standard ISO 9002.
Royal Portbury Dock can accommodate up to six RoRo vessels simultaneously.
TechnicalThe port experiences the second largest tidal range in the world. The Portbury Dock, like Avonmouth Dock across the river, is impounded and the water level within each dock is maintained by lock gates and impounding pumps. The pumps maintain a minimum water level in the dock when water is lost to the sea through ships entering/exiting the dock.
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