Sound Of Barra Integrated Transport Project

Eriskay - 23rd September 2000

Employment on the Eriskay causeway project has hit a new high with a total of 58 people now employed. This is made up of 55 people with contractors R.J. Macleod and any subcontractors, and three from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Of these, 57 per cent are resident in the Western Isles.

Currently the gap between the two ends of the causeway is 480m and the total amount of rock placed exceeds 40 per cent of the final planned quantity.

On the South Uist side work has concentrated on rock armouring on the causeway and on construction of the link road to the Glendale-Ludag road as well as the temporary ferry terminal. The main causeway has not been extended out any further but in all 175,000 tonnes of rock has been placed, extracted from quarry.

On the Eriskay side the core reaches out 650m from the shore (with an average of 2.6m below full height) . Rock armouring to core continues in progress and 145,000tonnes of rock has been placed, extracted from Eriskay The rock cut for the link road has reached 360m inland from the shore (out of a planned total of 650m)

At Ceann a Gharaidh the marshalling area for the new ferry terminal has seen blasting and excavating in progress and it is more than 20 per cent complete On the breakwater, core filling has begun begun - it has extended approximately 50m into sea at low level.