New crossings set to improve road safety on the A82 in Inverness
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WORK will begin in the New Year on a £130,000 pedestrian crossing project on a busy trunk road in Inverness.
New signalised puffin crossings will be installed on Glenurquhart Road, which forms part of the A82, in a bid to improve safety for pedestrians in the area.
They will be located at the Smith Avenue and Montague Road junctions.
The work will also include construction of sections of the footway around the new crossings, installation of new road markings and improved signs as well as installation of high friction surfacing on the approach to the new crossings.
Bear Scotland will begin the first phase of the project on Monday January 13 at the Smith Avenue junction. It is expected to be completed by early February.
Once complete, the second phase of the project at the Montague Row junction will begin, with the upgrades expected to take up to five weeks to complete.
To keep road workers and road users safe during the project, temporary traffic lights will be in place at both locations.
A 10mph convoy system will also be required during the installation process of the high friction surfacing with teams estimating installation will only take a few days to complete. Temporary pedestrian access will be arranged to allow safe access through the site.
The project follows consultation with the local community and stakeholders which began last year.
Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland’s North West representative, said: “Road safety is a top priority at Bear Scotland and Transport Scotland, and this scheme on the A82 Glenurquart Road and Montague Row junction in Inverness is part of our commitment to improving pedestrian facilities on the trunk road network.
“The new controlled crossing facility in Inverness will allow users to safely cross this section of the A82 helping to improve road safety for the community and encourage more journeys on foot.
“The traffic management arrangements are essential for the protection of our workforce as well as motorists and pedestrians.
"However, we’ve arranged these works to take place off peak during the daytime and our teams will do all they can to complete the project as quickly and as safely as possible.
“We encourage all road users to plan their journeys in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up to date journey information.”
