£520,000 road upgrade of A9 at Drumochter 'progressing well', Bear Scotland says
THE £520,000 surfacing upgrade of part of the A9 at Drumochter is "progressing well" after it reached its half-way mark, contractors have said.
So far more than 640m of the northbound dual carriageway has been upgraded, with work to address a 400m stretch on the southbound dual beginning this week.
Once completed the programme will see more than 3400 tonnes of new surfacing materials installed, improving the road for motorists.
Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland’s north-west representative said. “This significant investment by Transport Scotland allows this key element of Scotland’s road infrastructure to continue to operate safely and effectively for years to come, providing vital access for people to and from the north.
“This section of the A9 at Drumochter is one of the highest sections of trunk road in the UK at over 470m above sea level, and it is important that we ensure the carriageway is strengthened so that it can withstand any exposure to the elements.
“By using more sustainable methods and higher performance materials we can prolong the life expectancy of the road at this section and minimised future need for maintenance.
“We thank all road users for their continued patience during this project and encourage them to plan ahead by check the Traffic Scotland for up to date journey information.”
The ongoing southbound project incorporates what engineers claim is a sustainable approach to road maintenance. It uses a process known as ‘crack and seat’, which is being applied to the cement-bound base layer beneath the top level of the road surface.
This helps extend the life of the existing lower layer of the road by inducing a series of hairline cracks using heavy machinery, which in turn help to evenly distribute the strain and pressure of traffic running over the top.
It is thought this will save around 1150 tonnes of material when compared to a traditional method of full reconstruction of all road layers, without compromising on quality.
In addition to using the ‘crack and seat’ work, more than 9300 square metres of new road surface will be installed over the top.
The improvements are taking place between 7am and 7pm, Monday to Thursday and 7am to 12.30pm on Fridays. No works are programmed for Saturday or Sundays. The work is expected to be completed by the end of October.
To ensure the safety of roadworkers and motorists, there is a 10mph convoy system in place during the project.
To view Bear Scotland's full 2019/20 programme, visit http://bit.ly/BEARNWProgramme.
Real time journey planning is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.
