Time for a Corran Narrows bridge?

[KeithMD]

I see the Corran Ferry has broken down again. Usually run by MV Corran, but that's getting fixed with no return date is sight. Currently being run by the older and smaller ferry, the Maid of Glencoul. But now that's broken down as well.

The Corran Narrows are about 300 metres wide. Just about the same as the widest part of the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to the Isle of Skye. Is it time these ferries were abandoned? How long to build a bridge like the Skye one?

More here:

https://www.obantimes.co.uk/2023/04/07/corran-ferry-cancelled-at-start-of-easter/

 

[LittleSister]

Why? There's an alternative route. If people want to be somewhere better connected, why not go to somewhere better connected?

I can't imagine the economic justification for such bridge.

(And I say that as someone who has done the alternative route, having arrived too late for the last ferry on the way to a holiday at Kilchoan).

 

[dunedin]

I see the Corran Ferry has broken down again. Usually run by MV Corran, but that's getting fixed with no return date is sight. Currently being run by the older and smaller ferry, the Maid of Glencoul. But now that's broken down as well.

The Corran Narrows are about 300 metres wide. Just about the same as the widest part of the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to the Isle of Skye. Is it time these ferries were abandoned? How long to build a bridge like the Skye one?

More here:

https://www.obantimes.co.uk/2023/04/07/corran-ferry-cancelled-at-start-of-easter/

Any bridge would need to provide an air draft of 29m to match the Kessock Bridge in Inverness and thereby continue to permit transit of the Caledonian Canal. Might not be a cheap option to build a lifting bridge or one with sufficient ramps at both sides.
A spare ferry, or even a robust one, might be a lot cheaper. Would one of the small Calmac’s not be able to stand in?

Slightly easier than the fabled B…s bridge to Ireland though.

 

[Sandy]

Have you seen the size of the cruise ships heading to Fort William these days?

 

[penfold]

Not to mention the various bulkers which trade up to Corpach. If a fixed link is being put in a tunnel makes more sense; either way amortised over the long term any fixed link beats a ferry as busy as that one.

 

[dunedin]

Scandinavians would have a cable ferry for that narrow gap (hopefully a better one than the Cowes one)

 

[alan_d]

Prior to this latest debacle Highland Council had been proposing to replace the existing ferries with 2 electrically powered vessels which would run concurrently (not one and a spare as at present). As I understand it they also planned to modify the current idiosyncratic slipways so that in the event of one of the regular vessels being out of action they could be replaced by a standard bow/stern ramp ferry like those operated by Calmac on the Lochaline-Fishnish and Kilchoan-Tobermory routes. Unfortunately, the lead-time for these changes is at least five years.

 

[penfold]

5 years is the lead time to build a bridge, not ferries(scottish govt notwithstanding).

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Any bridge would need to provide an air draft of 29m to match the Kessock Bridge in Inverness and thereby continue to permit transit of the Caledonian Canal. Might not be a cheap option to build a lifting bridge or one with sufficient ramps at both sides.
A spare ferry, or even a robust one, might be a lot cheaper. Would one of the small Calmac’s not be able to stand in?

Slightly easier than the fabled B…s bridge to Ireland though.

Does B...s stand for " male bovine excrement" ?

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Scandinavians would have a cable ferry for that narrow gap (hopefully a better one than the Cowes one)

That’s quite a low bar to set.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

A fixed link proposal for the Corran narrows: -

Bridge emerges as cheaper option for Corran Narrows link - Bridge Design & Engineering (Bd & e)

... and while they are at it they could build a high bridge to Mull with 3 piers on the islands at the SW entrance tot he Sound of Mull, another bridge over the Clyde at Cloch to Dunoon, a new Bridge over Loch Fyne at Otter Ferry, Bridge to Bute across the Kyles and why not a tunnel to Arran.

Scotland, like the UK, is held back by a lack of imagination and this god awful need to preserve the status quo. An expanded road network is not incompatible with green ambitions unless your myopic and believe the internal combustion engine is for ever.

 

[dunedin]

A fixed link proposal for the Corran narrows: -

Bridge emerges as cheaper option for Corran Narrows link - Bridge Design & Engineering (Bd & e)

... and while they are at it they could build a high bridge to Mull with 3 piers on the islands at the SW entrance tot he Sound of Mull, another bridge over the Clyde at Cloch to Dunoon, a new Bridge over Loch Fyne at Otter Ferry, Bridge to Bute across the Kyles and why not a tunnel to Arran.

Scotland, like the UK, is held back by a lack of imagination and this god awful need to preserve the status quo. An expanded road network is not incompatible with green ambitions unless your myopic and believe the internal combustion engine is for ever.

Is the car / lorry the god that needs to be worshipped and take precedence over everything else?
Will the bridges still be needed in 100 years?

Yes bridges are essential in many places, but in others there are perhaps bigger benefits in retaining islands as islands

 

[ProDave]

Scotland just seems incapable of maintaining a working ferry fleet, not surprising as it appears they are incapable of making new ones presently, so they are trying to patch up an ever ageing fleet of old ones which even if they can keep them going, does not address the extra capacity needed.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Is the car / lorry the god that needs to be worshipped and take precedence over everything else?
Will the bridges still be needed in 100 years?

Yes bridges are essential in many places, but in others there are perhaps bigger benefits in retaining islands as islands

Yes, they are convenient and exceptionally productive at moving people and goods. Perhaps a merchant fleet of ships might improve beyond that, or even localised food production may become far more productive to meet local needs better than centralised distribution. Until then, open the country up so that cars and trucks can travel without the need for the barriers to productivity that ferries represent.

 

[Kelpie]

I'm not sure the Skye Bridge is the model to copy. The most expensive road in Europe to drive on at one time, and we ended up paying for it three times (build, tolls, and buyout).

The new Forth bridge came in under budget and on time though. So it is possible.

 

[ctva]

I loved the suggestion above that a 'spare' Calmac could be used... Calmac have run out of spares and the overdue new ones will be obsolete by the time they are finished (if ever).

There only appears to be one west coast ferry company that just works, Western Ferries. Maybe they should take ove the Corran ferry and it would then work.

Just a thought.

 

[WoodyP]

I think something other than ferries are uppermost in the minds of the governing party.

 

[Sandy]

I last crossed on the Corran Ferry in September 2022. £10 for about ¼ of a nautical mile.

I still miss the old turntable ferries are Corran and Ballachulish.

P.S. Love their twitter feed.

 

[dunedin]

I think something other than ferries are uppermost in the minds of the governing party.

To be fair this ferry issue is the responsibility of Heeland Cooncul rather than Holyrood.

But does seem odd and shortsighted to have slipways designed for the slightly angled car ramps, rather than a straight forward car ramp. Hence the current setup seems to prevent use of the more common ferries, whether for temporary cover or for buying second hand.

 

[ylop]

Why? There's an alternative route. If people want to be somewhere better connected, why not go to somewhere better connected?

I can't imagine the economic justification for such bridge.

(And I say that as someone who has done the alternative route, having arrived too late for the last ferry on the way to a holiday at Kilchoan).

There's never a simple ecconomic justification for connecting remote communities in Scotland. The "accounts" solution is always to say just move to the central belt, and leave the rural places for rich people with time on there hands. But that doesn't mean leaving the islands and remote peninsula's to die a slow economic death is actually the best thing for the country as a whole generally, people don't just value their life on a simple economic basis; having to some extent encouraged people in those communities to go / stay there and invest / grow tourist / rural businesses there is a strong argument that as a minimum maintaining the baseline service is a reasonable expectation.

The alternative route is nice if you are in no rush, but with heavy summer traffic both ways its congested and adds considerably to travel time. Hopefully, it is just adding frustration not delaying emergency vehicles etc. Certainly, it will result in tourist traffic avoiding the route which will impact on some businesses. In times of economic hardship following Covid, I'm not sure I share your optimism that they will all be able to easily just sell up and go to the city.

That doesn't mean I think we necessarily need a bridge or tunnel - I'd like to see more small ferries like the Corran narrows service.

I loved the suggestion above that a 'spare' Calmac could be used... Calmac have run out of spares and the overdue new ones will be obsolete by the time they are finished (if ever).

There only appears to be one west coast ferry company that just works, Western Ferries. Maybe they should take ove the Corran ferry and it would then work.

Just a thought.

Is the Glenelg ferry not working?
Or the Isla - Jura service?
(and the passenger only services operated by A&B Council?)

To be fair this ferry issue is the responsibility of Heeland Cooncul rather than Holyrood.

But does seem odd and shortsighted to have slipways designed for the slightly angled car ramps, rather than a straight forward car ramp. Hence the current setup seems to prevent use of the more common ferries, whether for temporary cover or for buying second hand.

I always presumed that the odd angle was to do with the massive tidal stream?

I see talk today that the MoD might be about to help. I wonder if that will get bogged down in MCA paperwork though? Someone in highland council must have friends in the right places though as the contingencies (passenger service FOC to Ft William etc) were already implemented quicker and better than I would have expected.