The Highland Council has advised the Inverness public that work on the River Ness flood scheme is to begin next week.

The work will involve the construction of flood walls along the river between the Ness Bridge and Friars Bridge.

Signs are already in place to give motorists advanced warning of the project, which is part of an £8.5m first phase of flood wall construction, aiming to ease the threat of flooding to 800 homes and 200 businesses in the area.

The work is being carried out for the Highland Council by contractor Morgan Sindall.

From Monday 16 September, the Council has said there will be no through road on Bank Street from Fraser Street to Friars Lane. This will remain in place until 29 November. To accommodate advance drainage works, Fraser Street closed at 7am today (9 September) and will remain closed until 7pm on Wednesday 11 September, with access restricted for deliveries and to properties only. Pedestrian access will be maintained.


From 7am on Monday 16 September the one-way system on Huntly Street between Young Street and Greig Street will be permanently reversed. The traffic lights at the Young Street/Huntly St junction will be switched off to improve traffic flow in the direction of Greig Street, while there will also be one-way movement in Greig Street, from Huntly Street to Kings Street. This is a permanent measure.

Elsewhere, from Monday 16 September until Friday 29 November, Stagecoach will be re-routing Services 17, 19, 28, 917 and 919 via Friars Bridge. Passengers should note that the Young St bus stop will be moved to Kenneth Street (opposite Central Primary School).

There will also be changes to the pick-up points for services 3, 4, 6, 7 which will use bus stops in Union St during the works, rather than on Academy Street at Farmfoods.

The Council has asked motorists and cyclists to plan their journeys in advance of these changes.

(JP/MH)