Structural Bridge Works approved for 2016/17

£350,000 of structural works has been approved for 2016/17 by the members of the Community Services Committee.

Members noted a report detailing the condition of the bridges, retaining walls and culverts across the Council and prioritisation for investment.

Of the 32 local authorities, The Highland Council has the largest number of road structures. There are 6,752km of regional road network, supported by approximately 2,200 bridges and culverts. The roads also rely on over 1000 retaining walls, of which around 800 support the road. The gross replacement value of these structures is more than £650 million.

A regime of inspection and condition monitoring is essential to ensure the safety and reliability of our bridges. General inspections take place at three-year intervals and principal inspections take place every nine years.

Condition of the bridges is generally good, 39 of the bridges are in “poor” condition and one is in “very poor” condition.

Bridge condition and load carrying capacity is taken into account in prioritisation of Capital investment, in addition to a range of other factors including risk, traffic flows, cost, heritage and whether they are a sole route for a community.

£350,000 of works was approved by Members for 2016/17. This will be used for repairs to Struy (ward 13), Achfary (ward 1), Blackburn (ward 9) and Coronation (ward 21) Bridges.

Chair of the Committee, Councillor Allan Henderson said: “We have a huge number of bridges across our road network in the Highlands and many of these are vital to connect local communities, particularly in rural areas. The Council continually has to prioritise where limited resources can be allocated to carry out essential repairs.

He added: “Recognising the importance of our roads across the Highlands, it is our intention to propose a significant programme of investment in our roads and bridges for agreement at Council in December.”