2020/21 roads maintenance for Inverness area
Inverness Councillors have approved a roads maintenance programme for the Inverness area that will give preference to the resurfacing of main arterial roads throughout the city.
Members previously took the decision to express a preference for roads maintenance to be targeted on main routes at a special meeting of the Inverness Area Committee in March 2019.
The programme agreed today builds on this preference and could see resurfacing works on King Brude Road, Castle Street, Drummond Road, Crown Circus, Millburn Road, Seafield Road and Barn Church Road throughout 2020/21.
For the wider urban and rural road network of Inverness area Members also agreed a programme of surface dressing in conjunction with conventional patching and jet-patching where traffic volumes may be lighter.
The anticipated roads maintenance budget for the Inverness Area of around £900,000 is based on the 2019/20 budget and is pending allocation by the Council’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee. The indicative programme is based on current engineering and safety priories and may alter if significant events impact priorities and resources.
Road maintenance spending is estimated as follows for 2020/21:
- £495,215 on 11 resurfacing projects
- £301,210 on 24 surface dressing projects
- £100,000 on structural patching (subject to budget)
- £64,000 on road and foot bridge maintenance
Provost of Inverness and Area, Cllr Helen Carmichael said: “Members have taken the positive decision to prioritise roads maintenance of our roads that have the heaviest levels of use while recognising that rural roads must also be maintained within the resources available to the city and area. I am pleased that members have approved the project priorities for the coming year.”
Cross party support was also given to an additional recommendation by the Council's Leader, Cllr Margaret Davidson which was seconded by Cllr Ron MacWilliam to:
"Ask the Provost on behalf of the City of Inverness Area committee to ask the Chairs of EDI and Resources to complete the exercise to understand the Highland's roads budget allocations and plan ahead how to best use any additional funds, both capital and resources for roads and to address the key issues of investment in arterial routes in our urban areas. We ask the committee chairs to take forward the work with pace after the completion of the budget process."