Inverness City West Link Road Consultation

23rd November 2011

Consultation begins on phase 2 of consultation on Inverness City West Link Road Project.

Consultation begins today (Wednesday) to gauge public opinion on the eight options being considered by The Highland Council for the Inverness City Trunk Road Project - West Link, which will provide a new transport link from the Southern Distributor Road at Dores Road to the A82 trunk road via a fixed link across the River Ness and the Caledonian Canal.

The consultation runs until 16 January, next year.

On Tuesday 29 November, the options will be exhibited at Kinmylies Church between 11 am - 7 pm and a public meeting will be held at Inverness Leisure Centre, Bught Park, starting at 7.30 pm.

On Thursday 1 December, the options will be exhibited at the Culduthel Christian Centre between 11am - 7 pm and a public meeting will be held at Inverness Royal Academy, starting at 7.30 pm.

Representatives from the Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services will be in attendance at each exhibition to explain the proposals in greater detail and invite comments.

The options are: -

Option 1 - Crosses the River Ness at the open ground between Pringles Woollen Mill and the Precast Yard to a roundabout at the western end on the Canal fields then follows the embankment of the canal along the edge of the fields to reach Bught Road adjacent to the Queens Park Athletics Track and thereafter crosses the canal with a low level canal bridge which will operate in tandem with the existing A82 Tomnahurich canal bridge ensuring that one of these bridges will remain open to traffic at all times.

Option 2 - Crosses the River Ness at the open ground between Pringles Woollen Mill and the Precast Yard to a roundabout at the western end on the Canal fields then follows the southern edge of the canal fields adjacent to the Weir along the edge of Whin Park to a roundabout on the bend of Bught Road and thereafter traverses the Rugby Ground to a new low level canal swing bridge mid way between the Tomnahurich Canal bridge and the edge of Torvean Quarry which is a Special Area of Scientific Interest then traverses the Golf course to a new roundabout on the A82 trunk road at General Booth Road

Option 3 - Crosses the River Ness at its narrowest point between Rossie and Heraghty lodges on Dores Road to land on Whin Park and a new roundabout on Bught Road and thereafter follows Bught Road to a new roundabout adjacent to the Queens Park Athletics Track and thereafter crosses the canal with a low level canal bridge which will operate in tandem with the existing A82 Tomnahurich canal bridge ensuring that one of these bridges will remain open to traffic at all times.

Option 4 - Crosses the River Ness at its narrowest point between Rossie and Heraghty lodges on Dores Road to land on Whin Park and a new roundabout on the bend of Bught Road and thereafter traverses the Rugby Ground to a new low level canal swing bridge mid way between the Tomnahurich Canal bridge and the edge of Torvean Quarry which is a Special Area of Scientific Interest then traverses the Golf course to a new roundabout on the A82 trunk road at General Booth Road

Option 5 - Crosses the River Ness at its narrowest point between Rossie and Heraghty lodges on Dores Road to land on Whin Park and a new roundabout on the bend of Bught Road and thereafter passes through the Canal parks between the Rugby ground and Whin Park and passes through the middle of the Canal parks to cross the Canal with a low level Canal Bridge close to the edge of the Torvean Quarry which is a Special Area of Scientific Interest then traverses the Golf course to a new roundabout on the A82 trunk road at General Booth Road.

Option 6 - Follows a sweeping alignment along the river bank from Dores Road Roundabout to cross the River Ness at the Precast Yard/Weir. Thereafter the link road will follow the toe of the Caledonian Canal embankment to a tandem canal bridge arrangement at Tomnahurich.

Option 7 - Follows a rising embankment from the Dores Road Roundabout to a high level bridge across the River Ness and Caledonian Canal. Thereafter passes through the Torvean Quarry to join the A82 trunk road near the old Quarry access.

Option 8 - Short direct link from Dores Road to the Precast Yard/Weir crossing of the River Ness. It follows the north side of Whin Park to a roundabout at the corner of Bught Road. Thereafter it follows the alignment in cutting through the Canal Park rugby ground underneath the canal via an aqueduct. It then follows a rising gradient in cutting through Torvean Golf Course to link with th A82 trunk road and the King Brude Road Junction.