Sound Of Barra Integrated Transport Project
Press Release - 27th July 2000
Eriskay Causeway Progress and Background
More than 40 people are now employed on the £9.4 million project to connect Eriskay by causeway to South Uist and by ferry to Barra. And the number may rise to over 50 soon with work under way at three sites, two on Eriskay and one on South Uist.
So far causeway foundations reach more than 700 metres out into the strait, but progress on the work, which started two months, will slow down as the deep water channel is reached. At Ceann a Gharaidh on Eriskay, work is now under way on the ferry terminal while blasting continues on the road cutting which will link the causeway to Eriskay village itself. Work on the 1.6 km causeway began at the start of May.
Background: Included in the project total cost £9,4 million are ferry terminals on Eriskay and Barra for a vehicle ferry, the last link in north/south communications between the Western Isles. The causeway will carry a two-track road, a new water main and mains electricity replacing the existing underwater cable. The causeway to Eriskay is the largest civil engineering project of its type under way in the United Kingdom. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has put £2 million into the project with £4.1 million coming from the Scottish Executive's transportation challenge fund and the rest from European Objective 1 (£2.8 million) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (£500,000).
The expected completion and final opening of the Eriskay Causeway in 2001/2 will mark another major step in the process of linking up the Western Isles which began 40 years ago. The first link to be completed was the 82-span South Ford bridge from Benbecula to South Uist, completed in 1942. This was followed by the pioneering bridge to Great Bernera from Lewis opened in 1953. This was the first prestressed concrete girder road bridge in the UK. Next came the five-mile North Ford causeway from Benbecula to North Uist, opened in 1960. This remains the longest causeway in the Western Isles.
In 1983 a new two-lane causeway was built to replace the South Ford bridge, which was decaying because of damage to the concrete from the sea and wind. In 1990, a causeway was opened linking Vatersay to Barra, enabling the population fall on Vatersay to be reversed. Over the years after 1975, a series of improvements were made to ferry services to offshore Islands, bringing car ferries to Eriskay, Scalpay and Berneray. In 1996 the Sound of Harris car ferry service began, linking Harris directly with North Uist. In late 1997, the Scalpay Bridge came into use, almost nine months prior to its official opening in September 1998. December 1998 saw the first crossing by car of the new Berneray Causeway, followed by its formal opening in April 1999.
Nigel Scott
Communications Officer
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
Tel: 01851 709389 (Work)
Tel: 07884 236103 (Mobile)
email: nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk