A group campaigning for safety improvements at Baleshare causeway in North Uist say the road link should be upgraded or replaced “before there is a tragedy.”
The Baleshare Causeway group said they were “shocked” no emergency services were “in sight to monitor or close” the narrow, low level “unsafe” road when it was submerged under sea water during Storm Kathleen.
Debris was strewn across by the spray, and the causeway to the Baleshare community was completely impassable during high tide on Sunday, 7 April.
Police Scotland say nobody in the community telephoned police about the unsafe road that weekend.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “After 7am on Sunday, 7 April 2024, an officer attended to check the Baleshare and other Uist causeways and found them not to be flooded.
“However, in order to make the roads safe, they were cleared of any debris so they were passable with care.
“On Sunday, an officer was kept on duty to monitor the causeways until the high tide passed.
“Information had been received from a partner agency on Friday, 5 April, in connection with potential adverse weather.
“However, there were no calls made to police by the public with regard to flooding over the course of Saturday or Sunday, 6 or 7 April.”
Police Scotland stressed: “We would encourage members of the public to report any road issues to police via 101 as soon as they occur so that appropriate action can be taken at the time.”
The causeway was exposed to the wind direction and speeds up to 70mph with a storm surge washing the high tide over the roadway.
Environment agency, SEPA, issued a warning in advance, highlighting the risk flooding.
A Baleshare resident called the comhairle via its Fàire service it is understood.
The causeway group said: “The police/coastguard would have got direct warnings from SEPA so should have been aware there was a possibility of the causeway being impassable and a danger to life.”
“With residents whom are key workers unable to get to their place of work, showing how the causeway is impacting vital services on Uist with far reaching consequences not only for the residents of the island.”
The group said unwary visitors to Uist over the Easter holiday period may not realise the dangers of the causeway and attempt to cross.
“There are no warning signs in place at either end of the structure to advise of potential dangers, nor barriers to prevent people crossing it when it is unsafe to do so.”
The Baleshare Causeway Group called upon Comhairle nan Eilean Siar to install a camera to monitor the causeway.
They noted: “The council worker that came down to clear the debris did an amazing job whilst being hammered by the spray.”
No calls about flooded causeway from the public say police
15 April 2024
