Drivers face four nights of road closures on A9 at Latheron
Motorists are having to contend with a week of road closures on the A9 at Latheron because of a resurfacing project.
Trunk road maintenance firm BEAR Scotland is carrying out the work on behalf of Transport Scotland. It is taking place between 7pm and 6am over four nights, from Monday (May 19) until 6am on Friday, with amnesty periods planned to allow traffic through at set times.
The section of carriageway affected is where the A9 joins the A99. It is being closed during working hours, with amnesty periods at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, midnight, 2am and 4am.
BEAR Scotland says this is essential to ensure the safety of the workforce and members of the public.
The company says the improvements will involve resurfacing the road “to make it more durable and resilient against inclement weather, as well as providing a safer road for road users”.
Consultation took place with “all relevant stakeholders” to make them aware of the traffic management arrangements.
Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s north-west representative, said: “These maintenance works on the A9 at Latheron will fix existing defects and greatly improve the surface for road users.
“We thank the local community and road users for their patience in advance while we complete this project. We encourage motorists to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up-to-date travel information.”
Real-time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.traffic.gov.scot, X at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.
Campaign groups Caithness Roads Recovery and Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT) have alerted their social media followers with a Facebook post.
CHAT chairman Ron Gunn has advised that if anyone is driving a mum-to-be to Inverness the driver should speak to the BEAR Scotland workers “who will treat this in the same way as an emergency vehicle”.
BEAR Scotland says materials removed from the existing carriageway will be recycled using methods approved by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.