Sound Of Barra Integrated Transport Project

Eriskay - 9th September 2000

On the Uist side - the causeway core has extended 465metres from the shore (average of 2m below full height) and 157,500 tonnes of rock have been placed, extracted from quarry.

The diversion around bridge section has progressed 80m which is 520m from the shore.

At Ceann a Gharaidh - At the Ceann a' Gharaidh ferry terminal a third blast has been set off in marshalling area and workers were preparing for fourth. Work was also progressing to blasting of rock in the approach road to the terminal.

By Saturday September 9, the work in extracting rock from the road cutting on Eriskay meant that 120,000 tonnes of rock had been moved, creating 530 metres of causeway from a rock cut which reached 330 metres in from the shore.

On average the causeway is around 2.7 metres below the final height and as the causeway pushes outwards, so rock armouring continues to protect the core already created.

Meanwhile the total number of people employed ­ staff, operatives, part time cleaners, student, that is everybody employed by contractors R.J. Macleod ­ is now 53, of which 29 are resident in the Western Isles (22 Uist, 4 Eriskay, 2 Lewis and 1 Barra)