Bridge closure ‘will speed up road works’
Road users in North Sutherland face travel distruption with a nine-mile detour when the Kyle of Tongue causeway is closed for 48 hours next week.
A £1.2 million project to renovate the bridge is being carried out for Highland Council by contractors CRL, and will be in the form of temporary traffic lights and single-lane traffic.
"A critical part of the work is renewal of the bridge deck waterproofing system," a council spokesman explained to The Northern Times.
"The system is spray-applied and weather sensitive.
"In order to minimise the time required for application of the system, the contractor has proposed a temporary full closure of the bridge.
"Although this would mean short-term inconvenience to the travelling public, it would have the beneficial effect of saving a significant period – possibly several weeks – of single-lane traffic operation at the site.
"The 30-week contract, which began in May, was due to have continued until the end of November.
"However, the planned temporary closure of the bridge and diversion of traffic, with some other refinements, will bring expected completion forward to early October."
The spokesman added: "In recognition of the forbearance and co-operation of the local community in the Tongue and Melness areas, CRL has offered to make a significant financial contribution to a local community initiative.
"CRL also proposes to engage the local transport initiative, Transport for Tongue, to provide a shuttle service to and from the bridge for local residents who are prepared to drive to either end of the bridge and then walk across."
The bridge closure is programmed to be for 48 hours and will begin whenever there is a suitable "weather window", which will hopefully be sometime between 9am on Monday and 10pm on Friday next week.
A nine-mile diversion via Kinloch at the head of the Kyle, is available to all but articulated lorries.
A convoy system will be in place, if required, to escort larger vehicles through the diversion during the daytime.
A diversion route for any larger vehicles will also be signposted via Shinness and Laxford Bridge.