Escorting Abnormal Loads over the A9 Kessock Bridge

14th March 2013

There is a regular flow of abnormal loads, northwards over the A9 Kessock Bridge, which in the main includes outsized assembly parts for a range of important development initiatives within the Highland area. It is important for the progress of the Highland economy that such loads are progressed without unnecessary delay.

On average they amount to approximately twenty per week and of these between three and four require significant alterations to the traffic management requiring closures of the A9 Kessock Bridge for up to thirty minutes. It is important that these closures are timed to have minimum impact on the travelling public.

Careful planning has gone in to this exercise taking into consideration drivers’ hours, the availability of maximum resources from the Traffic Management team, the anticipated traffic flows on the bridge and the optimum time for this operation is between 0500 hours and 0530 hours.

With immediate effect this procedure will be adopted and advance warnings, where possible, will be given of the closures by way of VMS signing, local/national radio, Traffic Scotland Website and Traffic Scotland twitter feed.

Commuters whose normal travel patterns may coincide with the short closures of the Kessock Bridge are encouraged to check the Traffic Scotland Website and listen out for any local radio announcements.

Motorists should allow extra time for their journeys and pay attention to any advisory signs which will be in place throughout the works. For real time journey planning information visit www.trafficscotland.org