Pedestrian crossings to be installed on busy trunk road described as one of the most dangerous in Inverness
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Two puffin crossings are to be installed on the A82 in Glenurquhart Road near the Scotmid store and at the junction of Montague Row.
Nearby residents and community leaders have welcomed the news, saying it will improve safety for pedestrians including school pupils, the elderly and those with visual impairments.
There are currently no controlled crossings on the A82 from south of General Booth Road to the Ness Bridge in Huntly Street.
Bear Scotland will start work on the £130,000 project in January.
It will include reconstruction of sections of the footway, new road markings and improved signs and high friction surfacing on the approach to the new crossings.
Inverness West councillor Bill Boyd, who has campaigned with ward colleagues Graham Ross and Alex Graham, is delighted by the planned improvements to what he has described as one of the most dangerous roads in Inverness.
Although he was unaware of any recent fatal accidents, he said that had been down to luck.
“This is good news for parents and young children going to school as well as shoppers and theatre-goers,” he said.
“These developments on the A82 will work in tandem with active-travel projects along the Ness riverside, making safer road crossing for city residents, businesses and visitors.”
He said the Montague Row crossing would particularly serve pupils at Inverness High School and Central Primary School.
Rod Murchison, of the Highland Visually Impaired Working Age Group, said: “Currently, many young and elderly pedestrians, including those with a disabilities, and especially those with some form of visual impairment, cannot cross over the A82 Glenurquhart Road safely owing to the lack of any formalised crossings with push-button controls to assist them to cross in safety.”
He said the new crossings would improve pedestrian access in the area for visitors and locals and provide real benefits to the city’s active travel ambitions.
Helen Smith, chairwoman of Ballifeary Community Council, said it could be difficult to cross the road at certain times.
“This will make people more confident about crossing and will make it easier as well as reducing the risk of something nasty happening,” she said.
David Stewart, regional MSP and veteran road safety campaigner, said local residents had raised the issue with him nearly two years ago.
“I’m absolutely delighted that these crossings are now being installed and I’m sure it will bring much relief to the local residents,” he said.
The first phase will start on January 13 at Smith Avenue and is expected to be completed by early February when the Montague Row junction upgrade will begin and is expected to take up to five weeks.
Temporary traffic lights will be in place at both locations. A 10mph convoy system will also be required during the installation of the high friction surfacing which is expected to take a few days.
Temporary pedestrian access will be arranged throughout the project.
Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland’s north west representative, said the new crossing would allow users to cross safely, help to improve road safety 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,” he said.
