Bear Scotland announces four months of painting and maintenance work on the Kessock Bridge connecting Inverness and the Black Isle
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MONTHS of work to paint and maintain the Kessock Bridge are due to get under way next week.
Engineers are promising "minimal impact" to traffic using the busy A9 road crossing, although alternating footpath closures on the bridge itself and traffic light restrictions beneath it on Stadium Road, on the Inverness side, are set to cause disruption elsewhere during the four months of the project.
Work will begin on Monday, before being temporarily suspended over the festive period and resuming the new year.
The work is a continuation of a trial that tested new types of paint on a small section of the bridge, immediately above Stadium Road, in 2019. Engineers are hoping the new paint will be longer lasting and require less maintenance going forward.
The latest part of the trial will allow specialist teams to identify the best strategy for carrying out further maintenance painting bridge – ensuring it "remains protected for years to come".
Bear Scotland’s Representative for the North West, Eddie Ross, said: “This second painting trial at the A9 Kessock Bridge will provide our teams with further insight into the best options for painting the whole bridge in the coming years.
“We’ve arranged the project to have minimal impact to motorists over Kessock Bridge, and while the closures of the footpaths at certain points is essential for ensuring the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, we’ve made sure that suitable diversions will be in place for users at all times.
“Our teams will do all they can to complete the trial as quickly and safely as possible, and while the impact to motorists is expected to be minimal, we encourage road users to plan their journeys in advance.”
During the project a specialist covered scaffold will be installed beneath the bridge deck that will allow teams to safely access bridge components. This encapsulated space will provide protection from the elements, enabling bridge components to be stripped and cleaned of their existing coatings in preparation for a new paint system to be applied.
To ensure the safety of the workers and road users, temporary traffic lights will be in place on some occasions during off-peak times on Stadium Road, to facilitate installation of the works access platform as well as to allow the safe delivery of equipment and materials to site.
Alternating closures of the footpaths and cyclepaths will be required on the A9 Kessock Bridge to allow painting of the parapets and safe access to the suspended works access platform.
Some overnight single lane closures on the A9 will also be required on the bridge for safety reasons, however engineers have stressed these "will be kept to a minimum".
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter @trafficscotland or the new mobile website, my.trafficscotland.org.
