Sound Of Barra Integrated Transport Project

Eriskay - 30th September 2000

By Saturday September 30, the total number of people employed on the Eriskay Causeway reached a new high of 61.

Meanwhile work was continuing at a total of four main construction sites, apart from the quarry and the site headquarters.

Coming out from Eriskay, the causeway core extended to 700m from shore (at an average of 2.4m below full height) and rock armouring continued to protect earlier parts of the core. In all 155,000 tonnes of rock had been placed, extracted from Eriskay. The rock cut for the causeway access road had reached 380m inland from the shore (of a total of 650m).

On the Uist side, the causeway core is now 475m from shore (at an average of 2m below full height). The diversion around bridge site was 80m completed, to 520m from shore. Rock armouring to core continued and 180,000 tonnes of rock had been placed, extracted from the quarry . Also on the Uist shore, work was progressing on the temporary slipway on the east side of causeway and there was filling for the access road adjacent to causeway. Concreting of the slipway slab had begun.

Meanwhile the roadworks from Glendale Road to causeway were continuing with filling and preparation for surfacing.

The gap closure (core only, not full height) is planned for the second half of November. The remaining gap is 430m.

And on Eriskay, at the Ceann a Gharaidh ferry terminal site, work continued at the marshalling area with blasting and excavating in progress. This was more than 20 per cent complete. On the breakwater, core filling had begun and extended about 70m into sea at low level.