The Highland Council is inviting the public to come along to an exhibition regarding the River Ness Flood Scheme.

The Council recently awarded an £8.5m contract to Morgan Sindall for the first phase of the flood defence works between Ness bridge and the Friars Bridge. The exhibition will provide an opportunity for the public to meet the project team and see their programme of works.

Also in attendance, will be representatives of the Council's site management team, designers Mott Macdonald Ltd and Inverness City Art (ICArts), who will be available to discuss the programme of public art works which is being developed in conjunction with the scheme.

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The flood scheme will see the existing defences along both banks of the the river raised in the form of low walls and landscaped flood embankments. It is designed to protect 800 residential and 200 business properties from a 1-in-100 year return period flood (including allowances for climate change and freeboard).

The contract has been divided into two sections for design and construction:

• Phase 1 – Upper Section (both left and right banks from Ness Bridge to Friars Bridge)

• Phase 2 – Lower Section (both left and right banks from Friars Bridge to the mouth of the river)

Construction of Phase 1 is planned to start towards the end of August for a period of 18 months, with Phase 2 anticipated to commence early in 2014 with a completion date by March 2015.

The public event will be held in the Town House, Inverness, on Friday 26 July between noon and 7pm.

(JP/MH)