Scottish roads contractor BEAR Scotland has announced a new timetable for essential safety improvements on Kessock Bridge on the A9 which crosses the Firth of Beauly, north of Inverness.

The project involves structural strengthening within all four steel towers and will also see the installation of new anemometers to measure wind speed and aid bridge management during stormy conditions.

Work had been due to commence this month on the works, resulting in six months of disruption but in a statement BEAR Scotland says that due to a review of the programme and working plan with the contractor, site surveys will now take place over the next two months with works then commencing in January 2025 and are expected to be completed by October 2025.

It says due to the nature of the works, and to protect pedestrians and cyclists, from January the footway and cycleway will be closed on one side of the bridge. Midway through the works, this footway closure will be switched to the other side of the bridge. A diversion will be in place to safely direct pedestrians and cyclists to the other footway/cycleway.

Intermittent night time lane closures will be required for material deliveries, however these will be planned to limit any disruption to bridge users.

Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said, “These essential works on Kessock Bridge will strengthen the steel structure, upgrade our wind measurement equipment and we will also take the opportunity to improve access and safety inside the towers for our teams.”

(Picture – BEAR Scotland)