Sound Of Barra Integrated Transport Project

Aird Mhor - 29 September 2001

A temporary cofferdam has been constructed at the new slipway site at Aird Mhor on Barra to allow water to be cleared from around the slipway so work can continue.

Overall, progress between the 16th September and 29th September included:

Roadway:
Two more blasts for work on the approach road. Drilling started in the approach road at adjacent to the existing road. Drilling and blasting in the approach road is approximately 50 per cent complete.

Breakwater:
Rock from rock source and approach road blasts being placed in breakwater. Outer slope being prepared and armour placing has begun. Breakwater at low level 55 per cent complete by volume.

Slipway;
This has been surrounded with a three sided sheet pile cofferdam and a bund tying into the foreshore. The enclosed area is to be pumped out using submersible electric pumps so the slipway structural work can be carried out in the dry. The pumps have been set up and the cofferdam can be emptied in less than an hour. Fabrication of shutters for the slipway concreting has started.

Equipment:
There are three tracked excavators and two articulated dump trucks on site.

Personnel:
16 in total of which five are resident in the Western Isles. There were also people from the piling subcontractor McGratten Piling (four from the mainland) and the surfacing squad from Aggregate Industries (nine from the Western Isles).

Weather:
Generally good up to the tail end of week ending September 29 when there were light showers and a freshening wind.