View Full Version : Bridge to Orkney
Loch not Lock
19-May-09, 09:44
I believe a bridge to Orkney would be a feasible project. As well as being a road it could have an energy producer built in under the structure producing millions of kilowatts of power which would eventually pay off the high initial building costs.
Capturing the strength of the Pentland Firth could power the whole country.
Kevin Milkins
19-May-09, 09:57
I believe a bridge to Orkney would be a feasible project. As well as being a road it could have an energy producer built in under the structure producing millions of kilowatts of power which would eventually pay off the high initial building costs.
Capturing the strength of the Pentland Firth could power the whole country.
Where would the proposed bridge start and finish and about how long would it be?
dietcokegirl
19-May-09, 10:06
Ok, nice idea but Is such a thing actually possible?
I dont know anything on building bridges or such like, but If it was ever to happen I'd hate to see the repair bill each year after the gale force winds and high seas of winter!
Alice in Blunderland
19-May-09, 10:25
mmm They have campaigned for years for funding for a bridge at Berriedale with no joy :(.
Even if possible how long before they would be able to get funding for it ?? :)
Plus its nowhere near Inverness. :lol:
anneoctober
19-May-09, 10:35
OMgosh - DON'T do it ! Leave Orkney unspoiled !
I believe they once concidered building a bridge to Stroma, from Stroma to Swona and a tunnel from Swona to orkney. they calculated that it would be cheaper in the long run than running the ferry. I have been assured that it was a serious concideration.
I believe a bridge to Orkney would be a feasible project. As well as being a road it could have an energy producer built in under the structure producing millions of kilowatts of power which would eventually pay off the high initial building costs.
Capturing the strength of the Pentland Firth could power the whole country.
I would imagine that a bridge could be secondary to the power production, that is, builing a barrage of some sort with the top of it being a roadway.
Ok, nice idea but Is such a thing actually possible?
I dont know anything on building bridges or such like, but If it was ever to happen I'd hate to see the repair bill each year after the gale force winds and high seas of winter!
The Florida Keys has over a hundred miles of bridges, one of them about 7 miles long, and they seem to be able to withstand the hurricanes that are regularly thrown at them. I reckon that the cost of any repairs would be negligble to the amount of profit from the energy made and sold.
mmm They have campaigned for years for funding for a bridge at Berriedale with no joy :(.
Even if possible how long before they would be able to get funding for it ?? :)
The bridge needed at Berriedale wouldn't produce any energy. Private funding, as with the Channel tunnel, will always be available if there's a profit to be made.
I think it's a good idea.
Green_not_greed
19-May-09, 11:32
The Orcadians won't like it......
I believe a bridge to Orkney would be a feasible project. As well as being a road it could have an energy producer built in under the structure producing millions of kilowatts of power which would eventually pay off the high initial building costs.
Capturing the strength of the Pentland Firth could power the whole country.
This is Scotland your talking about, NOT England, so because it doesn't benefit the English then the money will never be found to fund it. Also, it took them long enough to build the Scottish Parliament, for various reasons, on dry land, how long will it take to build across the Pentland Firth with it's extremes of weather?
I knew I read somewhere (2005) about a tunnel; "The budget for those tunnels, set out by specialist firm Sweco Groner, worked out at about £5,000 per metre. "
Suppose that ideas died?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4331889.stm
Maybe in would become a 'Bridge over Troubled Water' with the tides etc
Maybe in would become a 'Bridge over Troubled Water' with the tides etc
Bridge to "nowhere land" , the Orc's would probably use it to leave that windswept desolate hole they live in.
Bridge to "nowhere land" , the Orc's would probably use it to leave that windswept desolate hole they live in.
tsk tsk you have obviously never been to Orkney.
I am an orcadian living in caithness and would love to have a bridge (hate all boats) but I do have mixed feeling on how it would affect the lives of people in orkney. Lots of good and bad points!
The a new ferry is expected to cost £60 million which I think will be publically funded but privately run.
I think a tunnel will cost ~£100 million but a bridge may actually cost more.:confused
oldchemist
19-May-09, 19:17
There was a proposal for a rail bridge to Orkney reported in the press last year - round about 1st April if I remember correctly.
How do you get under the bridge safely?
What would happen if a freighter crashed into one of the legs?
Is it just automobiles that could cross or would there be provision for a rail line?
What about cyclists - how to prevent them from blowing away?
Plus how would we handle the Orcadians who doubtless all want to escape Orkney and will come flooding (no pun intended) into Caithness? Transit camps perhaps?
And finally why should we stop at Orkney - let's build a bridge to Shetland! Or to Norway!!!!
Which raises the question of which language should the bridge signs be in......
The a new ferry is expected to cost £60 million which I think will be publically funded but privately run.
I think a tunnel will cost ~£100 million but a bridge may actually cost more.:confusedI would guess more like a billion for a bridge. I just can't see this ever happening with the low population in Orkney - there are much more urgent projects than this? Unless combined with wave power generation......?
piratelassie
21-May-09, 00:15
What about cyclists - how to prevent them from blowing away?
Plus how would we handle the Orcadians who doubtless all want to escape Orkney and will come flooding (no pun intended) into Caithness? Transit camps perhaps?
And finally why should we stop at Orkney - let's build a bridge to Shetland! Or to Norway!!!!
Which raises the question of which language should the bridge signs be in......[/quote]
All that makes sense to me Rich, Had a He He Hee ! about the cyclists being blowen away..
I believe a bridge to Orkney would be a feasible project. As well as being a road it could have an energy producer built in under the structure producing millions of kilowatts of power which would eventually pay off the high initial building costs.
Capturing the strength of the Pentland Firth could power the whole country.
Millions of kilowatts?
That's a lot of watts.
tonkatojo
21-May-09, 10:06
This is Scotland your talking about, NOT England, so because it doesn't benefit the English then the money will never be found to fund it. Also, it took them long enough to build the Scottish Parliament, for various reasons, on dry land, how long will it take to build across the Pentland Firth with it's extremes of weather?
and what a pigs ear that building turned out, it looks like a cross between the Byker wall and Lego land with a few bonnie colours chucked in (in other words a right leaking mess) also I wasn't aware the English as you refer "it took them" built the Scottish parliament.
kmahon2001
21-May-09, 10:17
OMgosh - DON'T do it ! Leave Orkney unspoiled !
My feelings exactly. I remember seeing an article on a news programme or somesuch about the effect of the bridge to Skye and the increase in crime levels that resulted from the fact that the perpetrators had a really easy route in and out.:eek:
Island communities are unique from any mainland communities because of the very fact that they are separate from the mainland and they would lose some of their individual identity if they were effectively swallowed up by the mainland.
As for Orcadians all wanting to leave - I very much doubt that . If they wanted to they could all do it now because their property market is still on the up whereas Scotland's on the whole is falling off quite drastically. They'd easily be able to afford properties in Caithness because their properties are worth so much more than ours.:(
And have you noticed how many english accents there are in orkney? it must have something for all these southerners to WANT to move there.
tonkatojo
21-May-09, 13:04
And have you noticed how many english accents there are in orkney? it must have something for all these southerners to WANT to move there.
Walk in any English town or city and you will be surprised how many Scottish accents are heard and have been for decades. :confused
The 2001 census recorded 819,000 people born in Scotland living in England and Wales.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/feb/08/britishidentity.kirstyscott
tonkatojo
21-May-09, 16:28
The 2001 census recorded 819,000 people born in Scotland living in England and Wales.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/feb/08/britishidentity.kirstyscott
What a marvellous piece of writing, this depicts what is meant by United Kingdom, Sadly not the rule of thumb by some though.
cuddlepop
21-May-09, 20:38
My feelings exactly. I remember seeing an article on a news programme or somesuch about the effect of the bridge to Skye and the increase in crime levels that resulted from the fact that the perpetrators had a really easy route in and out.:eek:
Hasnt happened.
Was has happened is that there are more day trippers so maybe building a bridge would encourage people not to stay over in Orkney.
I use to love crossing over on the ferry to Skye when I wasnt living here but once living here we wanted a bridge.
That make sense.:confused
no noway never, they cant take my precious francis hamnavoe from me lol, what else would i do with my days if i havent got it to watch crossing the pentlaand firth lol.[lol]
Someone raised the topic of the Scottish parliament so at the risk of getting a little off topic might I bring you the latest update on that bizarre building.
There has been an outbreak of bollards. BOLLARDS!!!!!
I am painfully aware of this having tripped over one of the things while out on my morning run. The main entrance plaza is sprouting a field of Caithness mushrooms but grown to shin level and made of metal.
So I asked a security officer why the bollards? He patiently explained to me that this is a security measure to foil bomb-chucking terrorists.
Of course this leaves us defenceless in the event of attack by a high-jacked jet, or even a landrover packed with explosive.
Whilst on the topic of administrative residences I have a plan for dealing with the parliament building. Let us move the Royal Family in! That would leave the Scottish administration free to move into Holyrood Palace - a truly dignified building.
This house swap would certainly appeal to Prince Charles because the current parliament building has a turf roof. The heir apparent would have a marvellous time growing organic vegetables for the upcoming Canongate farmers' market. Perhaps he could substitute garden gnomes for the bollards.......
This is Scotland your talking about, NOT England, so because it doesn't benefit the English then the money will never be found to fund it. Also, it took them long enough to build the Scottish Parliament, for various reasons, on dry land, how long will it take to build across the Pentland Firth with it's extremes of weather?
and what a pigs ear that building turned out, it looks like a cross between the Byker wall and Lego land with a few bonnie colours chucked in (in other words a right leaking mess) also I wasn't aware the English as you refer "it took them" built the Scottish parliament.
I used the word 'them' in general terms, meaning Government. Whether it's Scottish, English or EU funded it doesn't matter, it'll never be built....and if it does then stick a dress on me and call me Gizmo. ;)
Alice in Blunderland
22-May-09, 15:17
.and if it does then stick a dress on me and call me Gizmo. ;)
Holy Moses what a sight that would be our Jox in a Frock :eek: :lol:
Will you also be wearing high healed shoes if this were to ever happen??
Holy Moses what a sight that would be our Jox in a Frock :eek: :lol:
Will you also be wearing high healed shoes if this were to ever happen??
Ye gotta be joking...my back is bad enough wearing mens shoes. :eek:
They managed to build a ten mile long bridge for just over six billion dollars (you can translate that into pounds, I can't be bothered) as part of a project linking Denmark and Sweden so the idea isn't physically out of the question. That link has both road and rail links.
That bridge also crosses a very busy shipping lane so that problem can be overcome also. I'm not certain, however, just how much trouble the Danes and Swedes have suffering from wind.
A tunnel is certainly possible because there are tunnels of that length or longer in existence already.
Scapa Flow would make an excellent deep water port and be able to take the largest ship in existence and probably any envisaged in the foreseeable future.
If the link would be a good or a bad thing I’ll let others decide because I would think it would depend on whether you want a quiet rural Caithness and Orkney as at present or a bustling, semi-industrialised economy with all that entails.
The distance is no problem, but what would it cost? Maybe this will help gauge how much: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6noP7BtJ1xA
A 22 mile bridge that cost £1 billion (+/- few £M)....the price of the Millenium Dome!
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