Sewer point? Inverness businesses braced for disruption with Greig Street set to close for a month
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Traders on Greig Street in Inverness are braced for a month of roadworks affecting their business premises.
The street, leading from the River Ness to Kenneth Street, will be closed from Monday April 22 until Saturday May 18 to allow Scottish Water to continue essential upgrade work on the local sewers.
Most business owners accept the works are vital given a recent leakage issue in the area, but a couple have raised concerns that the closure to traffic will hit footfall.
The Greig Street roadworks come after similar work last month and earlier this month on nearby Duncraig Street and King Street presented greater challenges than anticipated.
Greig Street Pharmacy owner Raj Singh was concerned pedestrians might be deterred from using the street, while antique shop owner Moira Meldrum said: ““If tourists see the road shut they’ll not come up this way.”
But Robert McKendrick, who runs a computer repairs and sales outlet, welcomed the work after consistently smelling odour from the sewers in recent times.
Another trader, who didn’t wish to be named, said: “There is much fuss about nothing. The work is absolutely necessary and the great thing is it should be complete long before the summer season really kicks in.
“I’d be concerned if it dragged on much longer than is planned, though.”
A spokeswoman for Scottish Water said: “We recognise that the work we are doing to renew the sewer network in Duncraig Street and King Street is disruptive to the local road network, as well as to residents and local businesses.
“Our team on site is seeking to minimise disturbance and disruption as far as we can – ensuring access is maintained and things like bin collections can happen smoothly.
“Intrusive ground investigations which have been carried out recently in King Street have confirmed the locations of other underground services and enabled a route for the new sewer to be confirmed.
“As a result, we have confirmed the traffic management arrangements that will be needed to complete the project.
“In order to build the new sewer, we also need to put temporary measures in place to ensure the sewer network can continue to serve customers and protect the environment throughout.
“This adds to the complexity of this kind of work – and is a factor in the need for a closure at the junction of Greig Street and King Street.
“Access from Greig Street to the section of King Street that remains open will be maintained via the existing one-way system.”
Scottish water staff have also liaised with nearby St Joseph’s Primary School while versing pupils on the work.
The spokeswoman added: “The work is essential to keep the area’s sewer network serving its purpose for decades to come.”
