Inverness Infirmary Bridge closure: Highland Council plans 3-phase refurbishment plan
Inverness’s Infirmary Bridge will undergo a staged programme of repairs and refurbishment after damage forced its closure earlier this summer, with Highland Council warning it could be years before the River Ness crossing is fully restored.
The popular pedestrian and cycle crossing over the River Ness was closed in early August after one of its hangers was damaged during Storm Floris. Attempts to repair the damaged part, along with several other worn hangers, were not successful, and the crossing remains shut on safety grounds.
The council says it is “doing its utmost to find immediate and long term solutions” and has set out a three-phase plan.
In the short term, the council says “substantial” emergency repairs to the hangers are due by 7 November. These will address the most pressing safety issues, though the bridge will still have to close during large-scale gatherings such as concerts and festivals.
Medium-term works are scheduled for spring and summer next year. They include repairing connections, partial repainting, improving drainage, and replacing the timber deck and bracing - with funding coming from the council’s Capital Programme.
Officials also warn that further steelwork repairs are likely within the next decade.
Longer-term, the bridge’s future depends on a full refurbishment. The council estimates the scheme would take around 18 months to prepare and a further six months to complete, during which the bridge would remain shut. While £535,000 has been allocated for short- and medium-term work, a full refurbishment is expected to cost about £2.5 million, and external funding is being sought.
The council has stressed that even if a full refurbishment goes ahead, annual safety inspections will continue.