South West Inverness Flood Relief Scheme

The public will get a chance to find out about the progress being made on the South West Inverness Flood Relief Scheme at a public exhibition taking place in the function room at Fairways Golf Club between 3 and 7pm on Thursday 12 August.

Work is well underway on the first two phases of the flood channel.  Phase one commences at the River Ness and travels up the Holm Burn to Holm Burn Bridge. The works involve increasing the capacity of Holm Burn, bunding works on the banks, the widening and deepening of an existing sediment pond and the construction of a fish pass. There are also some accommodation works in this phase, which include the replacement of two bridges.

Phase two commences at the Holm Burn just downstream of Torbreck Bridge and terminates at Culduthel Channel. The works involve construction of the confluence at Holm Burn, a sedimentation pond and weir to catch sediment from the channel prior to its discharge into the Holm Burn. The channel travels in a culvert until beyond Essich Road, and then travels largely in open channel until Culduthel Channel.

Phase three will follow directly on from the completion of phases one and two.  Phase three begins at Culduthel Channel and ends at Ault na Skiah, taking in Lochardil Burn, Slackbuie Channel and Slackbuie Spring. The channel is a combination of culverted sections and open channel.

It is expected that tenders are to be invited for the first part of phase three, from Culduthel Channel to Lochardil Burn, later this summer. The contract for Holm Burn Bridge is likely to be advertised in the autumn.