Work completed on Holm Burn Bridge project

Work has been completed on a £1 million project, which is an integral part of the £16 million South West Inverness Flood Relief Scheme.

The Holm Burn Bridge on Dores Road was built for The Highland Council by Balfour Beattie and attracted a contribution of £525,000 from the consortium promoting future development at Ness Castle.

The project involved removal of the existing reinforced concrete two span bridge and replacement with a single span steel beam-concrete deck bridge. The existing bridge was prone to blockage by debris being trapped by the central pier and the temporary propping which supported the weak concrete  bridge deck. The removal of the central pier and propping which stood in Holm Burn removes the risk of a blockage happening in the future.

In addition the bridge has been widened to provide a footway and cycleway across the Holm Burn. This allows a link from the proposed Ness Castle Housing Development into Inverness. The project was jointly funded by the Council and the consortium,  who are developing the Ness Castle site.

Meanwhile, work is continuing on the fourth and final phase of the South West Inverness Flood Relief Scheme.  The contract is being carried out for the Council by  R J McLeod  Contractors. The contract works, valued at £6.57 million, began in November and are due for completion within a year of starting.

The final phase of the flood relief channel lies between Oldtown of Leys and the Alt na Skiah Burn to the south of Fairways Golf course. The scheme intercepts four watercourses; Lochardil Burn, Slackbuie Channel, Slackbuie Springs and Alt na Skiah Burn and channels the waters into the River Ness, via the Holm Burn. 

The total length of construction for this final phase is 1,400 metres. Approximately half of this will be buried precast concrete box culverts and the remainder will be open channel.