Second contract let for Inverness West Link Road project

Work on the design development for the new £27.2 million Inverness West Link Road project continues to gather pace and following the appointment of Capita Symonds to assist the Council’s Project Design Unit in providing detailed design civil engineering and supporting services, the Council has awarded a contract for ground Investigation works to Holequest Ltd, Galashiels.

The ground investigation works will get under way soon and will be carried out in two phases.  Phase 1 comprises trial pitting and boreholes and should be completed  in early January 2013 with Phase 2 to be undertaken in July 2013 and will see boreholes undertaken at the pier locations at the proposed new bridge over the River Ness.

Capita Symonds have made progress with developing the road design and details of this will be shown shortly on the Council’s project website.

The new road – situated at the western boundary of Inverness city – will link the Southern Distributor Road at Dores Road with the A82 Trunk Road at Torvean and will also include a new crossing of the River Ness and the Caledonian Canal.  Coupled with this, the outcomes of the recent charrette and land use strategy will be integrated with the revised road network in this area.  The new road will include allowances for enhancing the recreational facilities and providing improved cycling and walking infrastructure within the design area.
 
The commission for this stage of the project will take around 12 months and will allow the Council to move forward with publication of Orders and submission of a planning application.  When all consents are in place it is intended to construct the project in 2 Stages. The first stage will cross the River Ness and link the Dores Road Roundabout with the A82 Trunk Road and the second stage will provide for the tandem crossing of the Caledonian Canal at Torvean.