Frustration and fury as A9 roadworks pile up
ROSS drivers facing a double whammy of major roadworks on the A9 have been assured that steps have been taken to lessen disruption for commuters after a "nightmare" start to the week.
Bear Scotland is currently carrying out crash barrier repair work near Evanton – just three miles from long-running major works on the Cromarty Bridge.
The close proximity of the two roadworks – both of which involve traffic lights – led to lengthy delays for some frustrated drivers on Monday.
Speaking on Tuesday, one motorist said: "Why, after seven months of contending with the road works on the Cromarty Bridge, did Bear Scotland have to start barrier repair work this week at Evanton?
"Last night heading north I queued back more than two miles and it took me 43 minutes to get through the lights. Going through the site of the roadworks, all the men were standing either talking to one another or on their phones. When cleared of the road works there were only nine vehicles queued to come south.
"This morning, albeit it only took 27 minutes coming south, the situation at the lights was a queue heading south for more than a mile and only three vehicles heading north. No roadworks were taking place; only two men standing beside the lights – controlling them – with both their heads down and on their phones.
"Surely Bear are experienced enough to synchronise traffic lights to keep a better flow."
Bear Scotland acknowledged that there had been delays on Monday as a result of the temporary traffic lights and said it had "taken steps" to lessen the disruption.
A spokesperson said: "We’re currently carrying out a £40,000 safety barrier replacement project on the A9 Deephaven Bridge close to Evanton, which will help improve road safety at this location. Works began on Monday and temporary traffic lights have been installed to keep both road workers as well as motorists safe."
They added that the Evanton work was expected to be complete by the end of the week.
"We’re aware that there were some delays on Monday as a result of the temporary lights, and we’ve taken steps to minimise this disruption for the remainder of the project by arranging for some of our Operatives to manually operate the lights, allowing for a smoother flow of traffic.
"We thank motorists for their patience during these works, and we’ll continue to do all we can to complete the works as quickly and safely as possible."
