Berriedale Braes ground works underway
Transport Minister Keith Brown was on site to see the drilling rig start its work today.
Mr Brown said:
“The Scottish Government has signalled its commitment to addressing the road alignment at Berriedale Braes, easing the problem for HGVs and other long vehicles in particular.
“To help identify the right solution, we are carrying out detailed design work and these ground investigations are a vital part of that. As the design work progresses we will continue to work with our partners and expect to have a preferred option ready next Summer.
”This is just one element of our ongoing work to improve the A9 with the ambitious programme to dual the route between Perth and Inverness, the first government ever to commit to do so. Work is gathering pace with surveys underway and the procurement of the three design contracts about to get underway.”
The £90,000 contract for these works, which are expected to last three weeks, was recently awarded to BAM Ritchies. Transport Scotland is providing additional funding to cover the total cost of the GI works to progress this important element of the design process.
The GI work for the A9 Berriedale Braes improvement scheme will include exploratory drilling into soil and rock and taking samples which will then be assessed in the lab to determine the physical characteristics of the soil. This will help inform the work to identify a possible solution to this stretch of the northernmost part of the A9.
The ongoing design commission is aiming to provide a preferred option in Summer 2014.
Both Transport Scotland and The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority are investing £100,000 in the design work, with Highland Council and HITRANS both providing £10,000 for the project.
For more information please contact: Sarah O’Loughlin 0141 272 7199/07920 477564