The Highland Council is advising all road users that the road to rail bypass on the A890 at Stromeferry is now in operation. 

Traffic management will be in place for up to 12 weeks so essential works can take place on the rock face to the west of the avalanche shelter. 

Travellers using the A890 to and from Skye should expect lengthy delays at Stromeferry and should allow extra time for their journeys. The restrictions in place will change as the work progresses. Information on the current road to rail timetable is available on the Highland Council’s website  - https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/1523/transport_and_streets/104/stromeferry_bypass.

Copies of the timetables have also been distributed to local communities. 

All the slots between trains when the road can be used are between 7am and 10pm. However the route is only suitable for vehicles which are less than 7.5 tonnes, box vans which are less than 8 metres and mini buses and cars towing caravans which are less than 10.8 metres. Any traffic over these limits will not be able to pass through the works and will have to follow the diversions using the A87, A82, A832 and A890.

The slots shown on the timetable card are the times when the road to rail diversion is open. Road traffic (less than 7.5 tonnes) is permitted to travel along the railway line through the works under a convoy system during these times.  These slots fit around the published Scot Rail schedule.

There are a number of asterisks on the operating timetable, these indicate where a Special Train has been added to the rail schedule.  The dates when these trains change the standard operating slots are shown on the reverse of the card.  For example, there is a Special Train due on the 2nd of October, there are two asterisks (**) next to the date to indicate that there will be a change to the operating timetable, in this case the road opening slot is deleted completely.  On other days the slot may open later or may be split in two to allow a Special Train through. 

A Council spokesman said: “We have worked closely with Network Rail and our contractor TRAC Engineering Ltd to keep disruption to road users to a minimum when the road/rail diversion is in place but inevitably there will be times when road users will face longer waits so we urge people to plan their travel carefully, allow extra time and avoid the periods when the diversion is not going to be available.”

It is planned that the traffic management and works will be complete and the road fully re-opened by 24 November.