Project record

Tonga Queen Salote International Wharf climate-resilient upgrade

Aerial view of two cargo vessels berthed at the completed Queen Salote International Wharf in Nuku'alofa

McConnell Dowell

Tonga rebuilt and extended Queen Salote International Wharf while keeping its only international port in service. The completed programme covers four wharves, four new berthing or mooring dolphins, a 50-metre Wharf 2 extension, navigation aids, a concrete seawall, strengthened rock revetment, yard pavement, drainage, lighting, power and firefighting systems.

Project signal

Completed in Tonga

Current status AIFFP and Ports Authority Tonga confirmed all marine and civil works complete and operational on 5 November 2025 Source confidence Confirmed

Location

Tonga / Global islands

Segment

Port infrastructure

Status

AIFFP and Ports Authority Tonga confirmed all marine and civil works complete and operational on 5 November 2025 / Confirmed

Last checked

13 August 2026

Coverage

Related sectors

Port infrastructure is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.

Subject index

Related subjects

These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

Project anatomy

Contract scope and delivery roles

Client / authority
Government of Tonga, Ministry of Infrastructure and Ports Authority Tonga
Delivery parties
McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd., Royal HaskoningDHV
Contract route
ADB records an internationally advertised open competitive process with prequalification and merit-point criteria. Its project page lists a US$43,050,275.49 main works contract with McConnell Dowell dated 3 August 2022 and a US$2,002,999.75 construction-supervision contract with HaskoningDHV dated 9 September 2022. ADB's operational procurement dataset also associates the same wharf title, contractor and 17 June 2022 signing date with grants 0774, 0889 and 0890. Those rows describe financing attribution for one works package, not three separate civil awards, and are not additive to the contract total. AIFFP reports the wider funding plan as US$55 million from ADB, US$20 million from Australia and an estimated US$8.5 million Tonga contribution.
Execution window
The project began in 2022. McConnell Dowell describes Stage 1 from September 2023 to July 2024 and Stage 2 from July 2024 to October 2025, while AIFFP records formal Wharf 1 handover in March 2025. On 5 November 2025, Ports Authority Tonga stated that all marine and civil works were complete and operational.
Works package
Rehabilitate Wharf 1; repair Wharves 2, 3 and 4; extend Wharf 2 by 50 metres; construct four new berthing or mooring dolphins; install navigation markers, moorings and buoys; build a concrete seawall and strengthen existing rock revetment; reorganize and pave the container yard; overlay the access road; and renew drainage, lighting, rainwater, waste-management, electrical and firefighting systems.
Marine interfaces
Construction was split across the eastern and western halves of a live cargo gateway so vessels could continue using the port. Marine piling, wharf demolition and reconstruction, dolphin installation, vessel clearances, temporary works and yard access therefore had to be sequenced with cargo operations rather than delivered behind a closed workfront.
Commercial evidence boundary
The prime civil package is complete, shifting the professional requirement from construction delivery to inspection, maintenance and operating performance. Relevant disciplines now include wharf, dolphin, fender and mooring inspection; hydrographic and navigation-aid checks; pavement and drainage maintenance; electrical and firefighting support; storm-damage assessment; and asset management. McConnell Dowell reports completion on time and on budget, zero lost-time injuries over one million hours, an average 80% local workforce, 14% of contract value reinvested in Tonga, 20% of project spend placed with the local community and businesses, and reuse of 2,160 tonnes of demolished concrete in rock bags. These are contractor-reported delivery outcomes, not independent post-handover performance measurements.

Project timeline

Material developments

Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.

Open this project in the Change Log

All marine and civil works declared complete and operational

The Ports Authority chief executive's commissioning statement closes the construction phase for the named works. Post-handover berth availability, operating costs and long-term climate performance remain unreported.

Source

First-phase Wharf 1 works commissioned

The first marine stage entered service while repairs, Wharf 2 extension, the western yard and remaining systems continued under Stage 2.

Source

Main wharf-upgrade civil contract awarded

ADB's contract register names McConnell Dowell and records the USD 43.05 million civil contract, creating the delivery baseline without establishing later physical progress or acceptance.

Source

Evidence gap

What remains unverified

Outstanding evidence

  • Berth availability and vessel turnaround after commissioning
  • Wharf, dolphin, fender and mooring-system inspection records
  • Concrete seawall and rock-revetment condition after severe weather
  • Yard drainage, lighting, electrical and firefighting system reliability
  • Navigation-marker serviceability and maintenance responsibility
  • Asset-maintenance funding, operating-cost change and formal programme close-out

Related records 2

Reporting status

Completed, confirmed confidence

Last checked 13 August 2026 across 7 cited sources. The dated timeline above carries the project events.

Last checked 13 August 2026 Cited sources 7

Sources and related records

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Source collections

Project sources 7