The port recently began work hammering 138 30m-tall concrete-filled steel piles into the harbour floor at the town’s multipurpose wharf. Each pile will take about a day to install during the $15million extension of the wharf to accommodate a new generation of larger ships.
The work would add 135m to the wharf to allow the port to accommodate more cruise ships, and is expected to take nine months.
Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders said preparation work had been done before the piles were driven into place.
The pile-driving itself had begun on October 24.
Contractors were doing six piles at a time in 12m lengths.There was noise as the piles were hammered in. Welding and other activity would then take place.
He likened it to "a big church bell ringing, someone hitting it with a big steel hammer".
There had been "a few people" ringing the port wondering how long it would go on for.
"I’m fielding those calls, and people are pretty understanding, which is good."
People in Port Chalmers spoken to yesterday said the noise was not a serious problem, although it was worse in Careys Bay. Careys Bay Historic Hotel owner Jo Kidston, who, before the work began, was concerned about the effect on her business, said it was "fine".
"It’s not very often during the day, it’s very intermittent. It’s not just knocking in piles all day."
The hammering could be heard in the hotel.
