Busy A9 junction to close as £1.3m night-time resurfacing project nears finish
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A BUSY A9 road junction in Easter Ross is to be closed at night while a major £1.3m roadworks project near Alness is finally completed.
Motorists using the A9 between Alness and the Rosskeen Free Church were hit by weeks of disruption in November and December as major resurfacing work was carried out.
The four-week project was originally slated to be finished by December 18.
And drivers may indeed have thought the project was completed before Christmas after the section dug up was fully relaid, and lines and cats' eyes installed.
However, a layby has remained coned off ever since, hinting that further work was still pending.
And that now appears to have come to pass after Bear Scotland – which maintains the trunk road – confirmed its staff will be back on site for eight nights from January 22 to 25 and January 29 to February 1.
The work, which is an over-run from the previous resurfacing, will see a section of the A9 dug up and relaid at the Obsdale Road turn off and a short way to the west of it. Previous works began to the east of the junction.
The additional resurfacing will run between 7pm and 7am each night, with no work on Friday or Saturday evenings.
Weather permitting, Bear Scotland hopes to be finished the work by 7am on Friday, February 2.
When night-times works are in progress, the A9 will be reduced to one lane, with 10mph convoy system in place. The trunk road's junction wit Obsdale Road will also be closed, with a local diversion in place.
Outwith night-time working hours, a 30mph limit will be in force s motorists will be driving on top of a temporary surface.
Ian Stewart, Bear Scotland’s north-west representative, said: “These road maintenance works on the A9 at Alness will help address defects and greatly improve the surface for road users.
“The use of convoy traffic management during working hours is essential to ensure the safety of roadworkers and motorists.”
“We thank the local community and road users for their patience in advance while we complete this project. We encourage motorists to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up-to-date travel information.”
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.traffic.gov.scot or Twitter/X @trafficscotland.
Bear said that materials removed from the existing carriageway will be recycled using SEPA-approved methods.
