Councillors agreed to progress second phase of A890 Stromeferry Bypass route evaluation

The Highland Council’s Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee has agreed to proceed to the second stage of assessment of options for replacing the A890 Stromeferry Bypass.

A total of nine options along three corridors will be the subject of detailed evaluation by consultant, URS Infrastructure and Environment UK Ltd on behalf of the Council with a view to reporting back to the committee with a preferred option by the spring of 2014.

The options were first presented at a public drop-in session held in Lochcarron Village Hall on Saturday 27 April

URS was tasked with reviewing the historical studies which have been carried out since the bypass opened in 1970.  They followed a STAG (Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance) procedure to identify solutions through a series of workshops with community representatives and regulatory bodies. The purpose of the stakeholder workshops was to identify the objectives of the scheme and to provide a framework to measure the merits of one option against another.

Councillor Graham Phillips, Chair of the TEC Services Committee, said: “I am delighted that the Committee has agreed to proceed with the second phase of this important piece of work to identify the best route for the bypass.  The community has taken real ownership of the project and we intend to keep them fully involved in  finding a solution to the recurring rockfalls at the Stromeferry Bypass.  We fully appreciate the inconvenience and the impact on schooling and local businesses of road closures, which result in a 140 mile diversion for road traffic.”