Roadworks mean pain before gain

It is difficult not to have sympathy with Councillor Andrew Baxter, who has articulately expressed what will be widespread frustration over the prospect of roadworks on the approach to Nevis Bridge in Fort William.

There is considerable merit to Councillor Baxter’s point that Transport Scotland’s timing is unfortunate, to say the least, given the imminent high season for a booming tourist industry in the Fort William area.

He is also correct to point out that the remedial work to widen the northbound approach to the Nevis Bridge roundabout to two lanes to alleviate the ‘bottleneck’ which ground the town to a halt last summer during the peak tourist season is not a cure-all for the different problems that beset traffic in this part of the town.

However, the prospect of another high season plagued by the same crisis as last year is difficult to contemplate.

It would be intolerable for residents of the area to have to suffer the same difficulties in going about their daily business. And it would ultimately be bad for our hospitality and tourism sector if visitors were also forced to endure similar problems.

We want people to go back to their home towns and cities singing Lochaber’s praises rather than complaining about traffic nightmares.

To that end, we welcome BEAR Scotland’s overnight works to address the bottleneck at Nevis Bridge and trust it will lead to a significant improvement to traffic flow.