Working Group recommends way forward for Inverness West Link Road

A Highland Council cross-party working group, is making a clear recommendation to the full council meeting on Thursday 1 March over the preferred route for the Inverness West Link Road, 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 Working Group has opted for Option 6, which 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. The estimated cost is £27.2 million.

The West Link project is included in the Council’s capital programme with a phased programme of work ready to start in 2014/15.

The Working Group unanimously viewed Option 6 as the most deliverable and affordable of the eight options and they will be recommending that the Council supports this when it meets on 1 March to decide the outcome.  The Working Group also recommends the Council takes the opportunity to enhance sporting facilities in the Bught / Torvean area when building the new link road.

Councillor Laing said: “Time is of the essence with this project and I hope we can make quick progress with our preferred option, which is deliverable and affordable..  The new link road is badly needed to reduce congestion, journey times and journey distance and thereby reduce the carbon footprint of traffic within the Inverness City Centre.”

“I would like to thank everyone who took the time and trouble to comment on the options at the two stages of consultation.”
Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of the Council’s Inverness City Committee, which met on Monday to discuss the options, agrees fully with the recommendation to back Option 6.

He said:  “I am convinced that Option 6 provides us with the best solution. We need to make very early progress with this project to ease congestion in the city centre and take full advantage of the opportunities presented in the redesign of the Bught / Torvean area to provide the city with enhanced sporting facilities.”