BEAR Scotland have announced that essential carriageway investigations on the A86 between Newtonmore and Laggan are set to get underway from Sunday night.

The project will involve teams extracting core samples over a 1.5km section of the carriageway to establish the structural integrity of the road ahead of surfacing improvements that are planned to take place later this year.

The overnight investigations are scheduled to start on Sunday 25 July, taking place over four nights between 10pm and 5am.

To keep the workforce and road users safe during the project, overnight road closures are necessary. A signed diversion route will be in place via the A9 and A889 during working hours and will add approximately 14 miles and around 16 minutes to journey times between Newtonmore and Laggan.

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Emergency services will be able to pass through at all times and local access for residents living within the closure points will be maintained when it is safe to pass through the work area.

The A86 will remain fully open during the daytime.

Consultation has been carried out with emergency services and relevant stakeholders to make them aware of the plans and to share information about the project.

Strict physical distancing protocols, in accordance with Scottish Government COVID-19 guidance, will be implemented to protect operatives, such that they remain safe at all times.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland's North West Representative, said: "These essential investigations on the A86 at Newtonmore and Laggan will help determine the structural make-up of the road and will inform the design of the surfacing repairs to take place in the area later this year.

"The use of overnight road closures are essential to keep everyone safe during coring operations, and we have planned these essential investigations to minimise disruption for road users. Our teams will do all they can to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible.

"We thank road users for their patience in advance and encourage them to plan their journey in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website and allow some extra time to complete their journeys."