Barriers Closure FAQ's
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Winter can bring tricky road conditions, especially on the Churchill Barriers. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions.
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How do you tell people that the barriers are being closed?
Notifications are issued to partner agencies and other stakeholders as the reviews are scheduled and decisions made. OIC also issues public messaging advising that the Barriers are under review and the next planned review time. Updates are also issued if/when the Barriers close and reopen. These updates are published 24/7 on:
The updates also appear on the Council homepage www.orkney.gov.uk in the social media panel. The local press is also informed as soon as practicable. We also put advanced warning signage at Highland Park (Kirkwall), St. Marys, St. Margaret’s Hope and Burray.
In response to local community concerns and in consultation with the South Ronaldsay and Burray Community Council, the Council no longer publishes advance ‘24 hour’ warning of the possibility of poor conditions at the Churchill Barriers. While early warning is still conveyed to emergency services and key operational teams within the Council, members of the public who wish to receive early warning are advised to sign up for SEPA flood alerts via their Floodline service at https://myfloodline.sepa.scot/register where you can sign up to receive a targeted Flood Warning messages for the Churchill Barriers. This would be in addition to folk regularly checking tide tables and monitoring weather forecasts.
