Lane closures clarification for £2m A9 dual carriageway roadworks south of Inverness
Confusion over the extent of major roadworks on the key A9 trunk road south of Inverness has sparked moves by contractors to clear the air.
Bear Scotland last week warned of almost two months of disruption for motorists travelling on the dual carriageway between Slochd and Tomatin.
The works, which began on Monday of this week, are expected to run for up to eight weeks and will involve £2 million worth of resurfacing and other upgrades to sections of both the north and south carriageways.
At the time of the announcement last week, Bear Scotland said that the work on the dual carriageway would be carried out at night and involve lane closures, traffic lights and a convoy system - but stressed that construction would not take place at weekends in order to minimise disruption.
However, Bear Scotland said this had led some motorists to mistakenly infer that the roads would be clear during the daytime and weekends.
And the contractor has now moved to clarify the situation, warning that although the convoy system will not operate during those hours, some traffic restrictions will remain in place during the daytime and weekends - including lane closures.
Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “This significant resurfacing project on the A9 Tomatin dual carriageway will fix existing defects and significantly enhance the driving experience for all motorists with a new road surface and brighter road markings.
“We have accelerated these works due to the impending dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy.
“Our teams are committed to executing these works quickly and with safety as our top priority. We extend our gratitude to the local community and road users for their patience while we complete the improvements.
“To minimise delays, we recommend that motorists plan their journeys in advance by consulting the Traffic Scotland website for real-time travel updates.”
During the works any traffic wishing to use the Raigbeg local access at Slochd will be guided through the traffic management and central crossover by a traffic management operative.
Access through the works site for emergency services will be maintained at all times.
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.traffic.gov.scot, Twitter @trafficscotland or on the mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.