Comprehensive refurbishment of Kessock Bridge on the A9 near Inverness reached an important milestone on Tuesday with the lifting of traffic management five weeks early. All lanes of the bridge are now open to motorists during the day and night time working will continue up until the contract’s completion in June.

“This is one of the largest trunk road bridge maintenance projects ever undertaken in Scotland and I am pleased to see it moving ahead at great pace,” said Transport Minister Keith Brown.

Bridge deck expansion joints have been replaced, the main bridge cables re-tensioned and a new road surface has been laid that is designed to remain repair free for 30 years. More than £15M has been spent by the Scottish Government on the bridge refurbishment and other infrastructure upgrades nearby including junction improvements on the A9 and A82.

Mr Brown thanked the public for their patience and especially those who have changed the way they travel by cycling or using public transport. “I hope some of those recent habits continue,” he added.

Repairs and resurfacing were let by Transport Scotland to Balfour Beatty with BEAR Scotland supervising the works. The project makes use of a dense mastic asphalt surfacing called Gussasphalt, never before used in Scotland. The material is designed to provide a quieter running surface and has previously been used on the Avonmouth and Tamar bridges.

(Photo: BEAR Scotland)

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