Group will pick preferred Inverness bypass route
THE preferred route for the much-awaited Inverness bypass could be revealed next month.
A group of Highland councillors is to be set to look at ideas for a new road to link the A82, A9 and A96.
Traffic using the road would avoid adding to congestion in the city centre.
Eight options are being examined by council officials in a process which will finish at the end of this month.
The working group will consider the results and announce its preferred route prior to a public consultation on the plans running from 23rd November to 16th January next year.
It will then look at responses from the public before reporting back to a meeting of all the Highland councillors.
Councillors will decide on Thursday whether to set up the cross-party working group.
"This is a very complex project in relation to engineering construction, flooding, the Caledonian Canal and environmental impacts," states Sam MacNaughton, council’s head of transport and infrastructure, in a report for Thursday’s meeting.
The local authority previously sought the public’s view on five options for a crossing over the River Ness and Caledonian Canal to the west of Inverness, linking the Southern Distributor Road to the A82. But during that process, three new options emerged following feedback from residents.
Options include a bridge crossing over the River Ness between Pringles Woollen Mill and the Precast Yard, either off Dores Road direct, or via a longer river bank route from the Dores Road roundabout, or a bridge crossing between Rossie and Heraghty Lodges on Dores Road, with a swing bridge over the Caledonian Canal between the existing Tomnahurich swing bridge and Torvean Quarry.
Other options include either building a road through the Highland Rugby canal pitches, Torvean Golf Course or part of Whin Park. New options on the table also include an aquaduct/tunnel under the Caledonian Canal or a crossing over the River Ness and Caledonian Canal via a high level viaduct, direct from Dores Road roundabout to the A82.
The council has £16.5 million allocated for the bypass, which would ease congestion in the city centre by taking traffic away from streets including Kenneth Street and Tomnahurich Street.
The cash has been set aside in capital plans and the council hopes to attract another £5 million in developers’ contributions.