New Naver Bridge on A836 section of North Coast 500 in Sutherland expected to reopen to public by summer 2026
Works to repair a Sutherland bridge on the North Coast 500 route have reached a major milestone, Highland Council has announced.
The replacement scheme for Naver Bridge on the A836 near Bettyhill has seen the completion of the in-river works this week.
This includes all piling works for the bridge foundations, and enables the contractor, Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd, to continue with the remaining foundation and bridge superstructure works throughout the summer months.
It is hoped that the new bridge will open to traffic by summer 2026, after which the existing bridge will be demolished, with full completion of the works expected by December 2026.
Chair of the economy and infrastructure committee, Councillor Ken Gowans, said: “I am delighted to see progress on this vital transport link - a major north coast project which demonstrates our commitment to improving the infrastructure in rural areas of Highland.”
The next phases of the scheme involve the construction of the bridge abutments and piers, with the main bridge beams due to be delivered to site towards the end of the year.
Road makeup, utility diversion and retaining wall construction works will also progress alongside the bridge construction works.