Go Ahead for Design of Inverness Trunk Link Road

The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee today (Thursday) gave the green light to proceed with the design of the Inverness Trunk Link Road (PDF 2490 Kb), which will bypass the south side of the City of Inverness and will link the A9 Perth road and the A96 Aberdeen road with the A82 Fort William road. 

In their presentation to committee, Scott Wilson, Consulting Engineers, Glasgow,  outlined the details of their in depth study which considered a large range of options and is aimed at resolving Inverness’s transport problems with multi-modal solutions involving park and ride, buses and cycling and including as its central plank the new Inverness Trunk Link Road.  Scott Wilson will now be moving forward and focusing on the development of designs for the crossing of the river and canal at the west end of Inverness City and the analysis of a new alignment at the east end of the City which will bypass Inshes Roundabout, a notorious traffic bottleneck.

At the west end, two options for crossing the river and canal will be developed.  One involves a high level vertical opening bridge which will allow the majority of canal traffic to pass under without the need for opening.  The other involves a bridge over the river and an aqueduct under the canal.  Both of these designs are technically complex and will be considered in detail along with key stakeholders involved in the project.

At the east end a new road will be designed linking the existing Southern Distributor with the A9 and the A96, both via grade separated interchanges.  This proposed new link road would bypass Inshes roundabout and separate strategic traffic from local traffic as well as accommodating proposals for new development at the West Seafield Retail and Business Park and also a new UHI campus.

Early phasing of the project is anticipated with support from HITRANs and developers to allow the east end traffic problems to be resolved.  The phasing of the overall project is of course dependent on funding, the availability of land and obtaining necessary statutory approvals.  When the Trunk Link Road is completed this will ease gridlock in the City Centre and provide opportunities for Transport Demand Management measures throughout the city as well as environmental enhancement in the City Centre in line with National Transport Strategy of reducing emissions and congestion in City Centres