Review of Canal Bridge Opening Times
Options for a new protocol for the opening of the Caledonian Canal bridges at Muirtown and Tomnahurich in Inverness will be presented to a meeting of The Highland Council’s Inverness West Ward Forum, being held at Kinmylies Primary School, Inverness, on Thursday, starting at 7.30 pm.
Both British Waterways Scotland and The Highland Council have agreed to consider changes to bridge opening times for the benefit of all users, and have jointly commissioned Faber Maunsell, transport consulting engineers, to prepare a micro-simulation model of the road traffic and the boat traffic at the Inverness Bridges.
A Ward Forum on 25 September captured the views of the community. The micro-simulation model is now being used to develop options for a future protocol, taking into account the views expressed at the September Forum.
These options are to be presented to the Forum on Thursday night. The feedback from this forum is to be reported to the Council’s Inverness City Committee on 9 February, 2009. The City Committee is to recommend the Council's preferred solution to the Transport, Environmental and Community Services Committee by 19 March, 2009. The TEC Services Committee has delegated authority to formally approve the Council's position.
Assuming the Council position is accepted British Waterways will implement the new protocol. Time to implement depends on the exact nature of the changes agreed.
Ward member, Councillor Pauline Munro, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing how the different options put forward by members of the public impact on traffic flows over the canal bridges and hearing the comments from people from our community. A lot of work has been put into model by the council, British Waterways Scotland and the consultants and I’m confident that we will be able to find a system that will be an improvement on the current situation. Once again we would encourage members of the public to come along on Thursday to have their say on what is an extremely important issue for our area.”
David Lamont, British Waterways Scotland said: “We are pleased to participate in this process, which is being conducted in an open and transparent manner and combines professional advice with the active involvement of the local community, which ought to increase the likelihood of arriving at a solution that is generally agreeable. We look forward to hearing what the community think of our proposals for a new protocol”.