BEAR Scotland has announced a £220,000 project to carry out essential maintenance works on two bridges that carry the A82 over the Caledonian Canal.

The project will see work undertaken on the Fort Augustus and Laggan Swing Bridges on the A82, involving the replacement of the hydraulically operated nose wedges that support the ends of each bridge. These essential works will ensure both bridges continue to operate safely for years to come.

The works are scheduled to take place as follows:

• A82 Fort Augustus – Monday 17 January to Friday 21 January (five nights) – 9.30pm to 6am

Overnight road closures will be in place during working hours as the bridge will be swung ‘open’ to allow for engineers to safely access the components on the ends of the structure, resulting in a full closure of the A82 at this location.

A diversion route using the A87 and A887 will be signed from Invermoriston and Invergarry for northbound and southbound traffic. The diversion route will add approximately 20 minutes onto journey times. There will be local access only on the A82 to Fort Augustus.

-- Advertisement --

• A82 Laggan Swing Bridge – Monday 7 February to Friday 11 February (five nights) – 9.45pm to 6am

Overnight road closures will be in place during working hours as the bridge will be swung ‘open’ to allow for engineers to safely access the components on the ends of the structure, resulting in a full closure of the A82 at this location.

A diversion route using the A86 and A9 will be sign posted.  The diversion route will add approximately 25 minutes onto journey times.

All traffic management will be removed during the daytime period.

Consultation has been carried out with Emergency Services, Local Authorities, local businesses, transport operators, residents and other relevant stakeholders to make them aware of the works and to share information about the essential maintenance that is required.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: "This project will see essential maintenance work carried out on Fort Augustus and Laggan Swing Bridges that cross the Caledonian Canal, ensuring they continue to function safely for road users as well as canal traffic.

"The road closures are essential in order to facilitate the maintenance of the bridges. We’ve arranged for the works to take place overnight to minimise disruption as much as possible.

"We thank road users for their patience in advance and our teams will look to complete the project as quickly and safely as possible. We encourage motorists to plan their journeys in advance and check Traffic Scotland for real-time journey information."