Work begins on installation of new pedestrian crossings on busy Inverness road
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LONG-AWAITED work on a £130,000 pedestrian project on a busy trunk road in Inverness is getting under way today.
Two 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 is expected to take up to eight weeks
A spokeswoman for Bear Scotland said a yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in force tomorrow from 1am to 1pm which may impact on progress on site but the teams would continue with operations where possible.
“To allow the work to be undertaken safely, temporary traffic lights will be in place throughout the project and teams will do everything possible to ensure any disruption is kept to minimum," she said.
"We thank all road users in advance for their patience during this important safety project and advise them to check Traffic Scotland before they travel.”
The first phase of the project at the Smith Avenue junction is expected to be completed by early February.
The second phase of the project will then begin at the Montague Row junction and is expected to be completed by early March.
Inverness West councillor Bill Boyd welcomed the start of work.
"It has been a long time coming," he said. "It is the culmination of a lot of people working towards this."
Cllr Boyd said it would make a difference to many people including parents with prams, schoolchildren, people with disabilities and theatre-goers.
He acknowledged there would be some disruption during the installation work.
"It is going to be worth it in the end because it is going to vastly improve safety both for pedestrians and motorists," he said. "Everyone is looking forward to the crossings being available."
Related article: New crossings set to improve road safety on the A82 in Inverness
