Western Isles Spinal Route Boost

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has welcomed an announcement from Transport Minister Nicol Stephen of £3.3m for major road improvements in the Western Isles.

The funding allocation will go through HITRANS who have supported the Comhairle in its campaign for additional roads money.

The Comhairle has already committed £3.3m towards the spinal route project and an application has been submitted for a further £3.3m to the Highlands and Islands Transitional Programme. Overall the project will create somewhere in the region of 150 construction jobs over the next 3 years.

The Comhairle aims to complete double track routes between Stornoway and Tarbert and between Lochmaddy and Clachan in North Uist.

Transportation Chairman Cllr Donald Manford said: “This is excellent news for the Western Isles. I want to thank the Minister for recognising the value of the Comhairle’s case for additional money for our roads network. I also wish to thank HITRANS for their support. It has been a real team effort. With the Comhairle’s funding in place and an application for the remaining money pending, the long held aspiration of a double track spinal route running the length of the Islands is close to becoming a reality. This project will not only provide major additional benefits to the Islands’ transport infrastructure which has been transformed in recent years, but will also bring a substantial number of construction jobs over the next 3 years”.

Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk