Bid to ease traffic congestion during Kessock Bridge repairs
Resurfacing work to extend the life of the Kessock Bridge will be carried out over two periods to allow the bridge to remain at full capacity during its busiest period.
Transport Scotland is breaking the lengthy contract into two phases to ensure the bridge is not operating at reduced capacity in July and August, annually the time when traffic levels on the route are at their highest.
Under the new schedule from Transport Scotland, work has been brought forward from the March 2013 start date agreed more than a year ago to begin in mid-February next year and will run for 16 weeks until June.
After a break to avoid late-summer disruption, work will recommence in February 2014 and be concluded 20 weeks later in June that year.
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson welcomed news of the revised timetable. And he dismissed allegations from local Lib Dem councillors that the longer repair schedule had been caused by Scottish Government ministers.
"Obviously with one eye on next May’s council elections, two Lib Dem councillors have attempted to blame Scottish Government ministers for the need for lengthy work to extend the life of the Kessock Bridge," he said.
"However, Transport Scotland and The Highland Council have looked at how best to minimise disruption on this important bridge."
He was responding to suggestions carried in a newsletter distributed by Ross-shire Lib Dem councillors David Alston and Angela MacLean that Scottish Government ministers were to blame for a delay in the start of work,
Mr Thompson said: "I can assure these Lib Dem members, and anyone else who may have been taken in by their predictions of impending gridlock for the Black Isle, that Transport Scotland experts have sought the least disruptive window possible for this vital repair work to be carried out."
While resurfacing work in being carried out, one side of the bridge will be closed, leaving traffic to use the other side open for single-carriageway travel.
Design work is already underway for the addition of traffic lights to the Longman Roundabout and work to add these, in addition to other traffic control measures, will be carried out over the next year.
Transport Scotland officials are due to present their revised timetable to Highland Council members on March 1 but have been dealing with TEC services officials in advance of this.
