Skye roads programme and Kilt Rock update
A structural maintenance programme for Skye and Raasay has seen half of the surfacing schemes completed within the original programme (as agreed at the January 2023 Skye and Raasay Area Committee).
Skye and Raasay Area Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson said: “The local Skye and Raasay area road teams are working under challenging circumstances and with finite resource and budget. What they have achieved using the approved road funding allocation for 2023/34 is testament to their professionalism and dedication to improving the roads for us all. There remains more to achieve and local Members for the area will continue to scope out any additional resource and funding opportunities to allow the roads and infrastructure to continue to progress to a standard that improves road conditions for all road users. While everyone appreciates that work is needed on many of our roads, members of the public should understand that the roads team can only be working at one site at a time, and hopefully the weather conditions allow the positive progress being made to continue.”
Three of the six surfacing schemes are completed:
- A850 Borve to Dunvegan Road at Braebost
- B884 Both approaches to Ramasaig Junction
- B884 Glendale Hill (both sides)
While the road surfacing road team were at Glendale, they also undertook extensive paver patching on the Holmsdale Road, Glendale village, Lower Milovaig and Waterstein Road. Due to Scottish Water contractors undertaking major works within the Dunvegan area, they were unable to undertake works at Lonmore (start of B884 – frequently reported as an issue) as at that time the section of road had a 3 way traffic lights system in operation.
In addition, the B885 Portree – Struan (Eastern approach to River Snizort) will be improved as part of the additional £7.7M for Strategic Road Schemes which was agreed at the E & I Committee on 4 May.
This week commencing 15 May 2023, works began on the A855 Portree – Uig Road (Water treatment – Storr Loch to address 3 poor sections on the Main Road north before surface dressing is due to start.
The Kilt Rock car park development is progressing, however due to local emergency road repair works and the diversion of the operational road team resource the programme of works is to be extended. The road team aims to complete works as soon as possible to allow the new facilities to be open for the summer tourist season (the programme schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions).
Cllr Finlayson added: “The very welcome development works at Kilt Rock are progressing well and are now at the phase that puts works very much at the mercy of the weather. This being the case, it is difficult to give a specific date for opening but we remain hopeful that subject to weather the tarring and line painting works can be completed as soon as possible, and the new facilities will be open very soon and certainly in time for peak demand.”