Skye bridge users reap £100 million economic benefit to date

The economic benefit to users of the Skye Bridge is already close to £100 million, and likely to reach almost £400 million over the next 60 years.

The Skye Bridge Socio Economic Impact Study, newly completed by DHC for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS), shows that traffic growth was higher than predicted, even when the tolls were in place.

The report was commissioned to develop a clear understanding of the transportation, economic and social impacts of the bridge.

The findings are expected to contribute to achieving the wider aspirations of HIE and HITRANS, of improving island connectivity and will also be used to assess the implications for other potential fixed links in the Highlands. 

Tony Jarvis, transport policy manager at HIE said: "In the early 1990s, ferry traffic caused severe congestion at Kyle of Lochalsh, particularly in the summer months. This was seen to be a major constraint on the social and economic development of Skye.

"The introduction of the 24 hour ferry made little difference to traffic growth, but a significant jump of about 20 per cent was experienced as a result of the change from the ferry to the tolled bridge. Since the tolls were removed, a further 50 per cent increase in traffic has been observed".

Where it is technically feasible to replace ferry services, fixed links are shown to have the potential to deliver step changes in the quality of life for local residents, and can lead to increased profitability for businesses.

Free passage across the bridge was shown to have stimulated an improvement in the labour market, as people began to cross to and from the island for work, without incurring disproportional travel costs. In a single year, the cost benefit comparison of the free bridge with the ferry services was £12.2 million, with half of this benefit from the removal of the tolls in 2004.

The report also focused on the community benefits of the fixed link, looking at more clearly recognisable social concepts such as cost, time, reliability, convenience and comfort.

Many trips are for shopping, accessing services, leisure, or visiting friends and family. Although the loss of free ferry crossings for pedestrians resulted in a drop in local trips between Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyleakin, the removal of tolls has gone some way to re-integrating the two communities.

Charlie King, chairman of HITRANS said: "The report makes it clear that we need to consider a range of factors when assessing the likely impact of fixed links. Although the Skye Bridge was seen to be strategically important in a Highland context, the report emphasises the particular importance of appraisal against local objectives, especially in remote and rural areas".

Robert Muir, area director of HIE Skye and Wester Ross commented: "The bridge was assessed as being only one element in the social and economic development of the area, its impacts entwined with wider market changes for house prices, fuel prices, international tourism market fluctuations, the rise of e-lifestyles and remote working".

"The report concludes that there is much greater confidence amongst people living in the area, about their future. I am particularly pleased that the findings which came out of the focus groups show that "in the early 1990s the young folk would leave the island as soon as they got the chance, but now they are staying".

"The freedom to travel at any time of day or night has clearly reduced perceptions of isolation and increased the feel-good factor of living on an island. This has opened up opportunities for large cultural events such as the Skye music festival, and the hosting of internationally acclaimed events such as the Celtic Media festival, which would have been much harder to attract without the convenience of a bridge".