Essential works on Caledonian Canal bridges due to start
junction of the Pier Road outside Innis Aluinn.
The request for a grit bin for the slope at the new car park was denied as the car park is a business. Moving the unused grit bin from the A830/U1191 junction was not a solution as it would not be stocked.
Glenfinnan Community Facilities Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation update from Ingrid Henderson: Work on the picnic area and new path were due to begin last week. Trees at the side of the shorebase are being felled by James Gillies. Villagers are welcome to remove any firewood, which is being stored on the loch side of the community hut.
Police report – minor recorded incidents in Glenfinnan and the surrounding area in the last month included road traffic, a call of good intent and a dead deer on the railway line.
Chairperson’s report: 12 bags of tinned and dried goods were received from Fair Share and Caol Regeneration and distributed to households in Glenfinnan with children. There will be more food donations, but not until the end of the summer. If anyone is struggling and needs assistance, GCC will provide help. Thanks to Fair Share and Caol Regeneration.
Community councillor Ally Entwistle raised the possibility of loaning ebikes from HITRANS for the community to trial. It was agreed she should investigate the insurance/maintenance costs, which would have to be borne by the community group they would be loaned to, and length of trial and report back to the next community council meeting. There was a query about the need for public liability insurance.
Date of next meeting: Wednesday February 2.
Essential maintenance on two bridges that carry the A82 over the Caledonian Canal was to get under way this week.
The £220,000 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 on the Fort Augustus bridge were scheduled to take place from Monday of this week until tomorrow (Friday) from 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 on to journey times. There will be local access only on the A82 to Fort Augustus.
On the Laggan Swing Bridge, the works will start on Monday February 7 to Friday February 11 from 9.45pm to 6am. Overnight road closures will be in place during working hours as the bridge will be swung ‘open’ for the same reasons as with the Fort Augustus bridge, again 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 on to journey times. All traffic management will be removed during the daytime period.
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.’