Caithness.org News Bulletins

The Inverness Boom Looks Set Top Continue For a Few Years Yet

A new road in Inverness, which will unlock millions of pounds worth of housing, commercial and community development in the new city was officially opened on Thursday 28 March.

The third and fourth phases of the Southern Distributor Road will provide modern carriageway between the Inshes Roundabout at Beechwood and Ness Side at Dores Road.

The Highland Council contract involved the construction of 3.3 kilometres of road from Old Edinburgh Road at Castle Heather to Stratherrick Road, following a route through farmland, which closely borders the access to Fairways, and continues to the rear of Rollerbowl and Inverness Royal Academy. It includes two new roundabouts at Inverness Royal Academy and Slackbuie.

The section has a carriageway width of 7.3 metres (24ft) with 3m (10ft) wide combined cycle/footways on each side. It is fully kerbed throughout its length with street lighting.

Within the contract was the realignment of the traffic light-operated junction at Balloan Road/Culduthel Road/Slackbuie Avenue. This work was necessary to improve access to the new distributor road.

A significant element of the contract has been infrastructure work funded by the North of Scotland Water Authority, consisting of water and sewage provision for all future development to the south and west of Inverness. This has been carried out at a cost of approximately £1.5 million. As well as putting in place the water and sewerage systems for up to 5,000 properties in the area, NoSWA had an added challenge. They had to include the new water supply pipeline, built to carry tap water from their new £14.5 million Inverness Water Treatment Works to the whole of the city and surrounding area into the scheme. This new artery and four key distribution mains coming from it will supply the city, as well as the Southern Distributor developments, with a fully treated drinking water supply.

The Council supervised and funded the roads contract but will recoup all of the cost of the roadworks from landowners and developers, who stand to benefit from the unlocking of the land for housing and other developments. The contractor was the Construction Centre Group.

The Council has allocated 900 houses at Culduthel/Slackbuie; 600 at Ness Castle and 800 at Ness Side to meet land supply needs in Inverness for the next 10 years. Included in the Local Plan is provision for commercial development and community/neighbourhood facilities.

Councillor Charlie King, Chairman of the Roads, Community and Protective Services Committee, said: "This is an eagerly awaited project, and a key component of the Council’s Inverness Local Plan, which has been made possible through planning agreements with local landowners and businesses who will benefit from the unlocking of prime development land. The road will prove to be of tremendous benefit to the travelling public, who will be able to avoid a journey into the city centre to gain access to a great many of their destinations."