Council / Estimated cost of Cullivoe road project rises by one third
THE EXPECTED cost of the new Cullivoe road project has risen to £13.3 million.
However, around £2.4 million of this covers asphalt surfacing which will be carried out in-house by the SIC’s roads team, with this work coming from existing budgets.
A full business case will go in front of councillors on Tuesday which, if approved, would pave the way for construction to begin.
The latest capital cost is now estimated at £13.3 million – up from the previous figure of £9.9 million.
This reflects the cost estimated by the preferred bidder for the civil works contract, CW Johnston Plant Ltd.
Around £700,000 of this has already been spent on preparatory works such design and land purchase.
It is proposed that around £2.7 million of the total cost would be taken from reserves, enabled by a “diversion of normal works” within the roads service in 2026/27, with the rest being met by borrowing.
The spend outwith the council stands to come to around £10 million, with around £8.9 million of this attributed to the civil works.
It is expected that construction could get underway in the summer, and that it could extend over a two-year period.
A new two-lane road from Gutcher to Cullivoe on a new alignment remains the preferred option.
A full business case was approved by councillors back in 2021, but the latest version includes the actual tender sum for the civil works submitted by the preferred bidder during the recent tendering exercise.
The project aims to address safety concerns on the existing single track road, and also support the local community and businesses – with the road an important link to the Cullivoe pier, where fish is landed.
The business case highlights how the piece of road was designed and constructed by the Highland Destitution Relief Board in 1851, the work being undertaken by the residents of North Yell.
“It was designed for use by horse and cart with the only improvements since being localised widening, passing places and a bitumen bound surface,” it added.
“Considering this it has coped remarkably well with the level of traffic loading to which it has been subjected.”
However, concern was raised in 2018 regarding the deterioration in the condition of the road and the implications this had for road safety.
A safety check identified a number of concerns including the “substandard width of the road, the very poor condition of the carriageway and the lack of safety barriers at locations where national guidance deems them necessary”.
The business case added that the possibility of Cooke Aquaculture, the salmon farming company which uses the Cullivoe pier, making a financial contribution to the project had been discussed.
But it was confirmed that the company would not be making a contribution to the proposed development.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
