Cromarty Bridge works to last six months
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MAJOR refurbishment works due to last for six months will get under way on the Cromarty Bridge in April.
Four spans of the bridge which carries the A9 over the Cromarty Firth are in need of upgrading and repair.
It follows on from works that were completed in 2011 and covered the first four spans of the bridge.
The project will be carried out by Bear Scotland, working on behalf of Transport Scotland.
Works will involve concrete repairs to the bridge deck and supports, instalment of new bridge joints and protection measures to prevent any future deterioration.
The bridge deck will then be resurfaced and waterproofed to ensure a smooth and safe journey for bridge users.
The repairs to the bridge deck and supports follow on from a £4 million package of improvements completed earlier this year.
These works included replacement of the bridge parapets on both sides of the structure, the installation of scour protection measures around six of the piers of the bridge, as well as advanced electrical works completed to help facilitate the deck span replacement.
The upgrades to the bridge deck and supports will begin in April 2017 and are expected to take place over six months.
The works will be carried out using a short single lane alternate working under traffic signal control to protect bridge users and road workers throughout construction.
Bear Scotland says the refurbishments have been planned to take place outwith the winter months in order to minimise the impact of bad weather which could prolong the time taken to complete the scheme.
Bear Scotland has met with key stakeholders including Highland Council, emergency services and Cromarty Firth Port Authority to inform them of the planned upgrades.
Speaking of the bridge refurbishment, Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland’s North West Representative, said: "The next phase of works will allow us to upgrade the next four spans on Cromarty Bridge to withstand the harsh natural environment, making sure it will remain in safe working condition for years to come.
"The recent meetings with representatives from Highland Council, emergency services and other stakeholders allowed us to explain the necessity of the repairs.
"The next stage will be to have a public information meeting in the new year where we can share the plans for the Cromarty Bridge refurbishment with the local communities.
"We have taken on board some of the lessons learned from the works carried out during the improvements in 2011 and will incorporate these into our strategy for completing this next phase in 2017.
"We’ve already completed advanced works earlier this year which will help facilitate the bridge refurbishment programme to further limit the overall impact of the project.
"We will continue to work with stakeholders in advance of the works taking place to keep them fully informed.
"Emergency service priority access, the cruise liner timetables and the bus schedules have all been taken into consideration into the planning of our works, and we will look to adjust the timings of the traffic signals to ease the flow of traffic during peak times.
"In addition, we’ve carried out traffic impact assessments and delays of up to 10 minutes are expected during peak times, however our teams will look to do all they can to limit any impact of these works next year and complete the works as quickly and safely as possible."
Variable message signs on the trunk road network will provide up-to-date information during the works to advise of any delays, and real-time journey information will be made available through Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org or twitter @trafficscotland.
