Ground investigation work to kick off at Berriedale Braes
A9 users north of Inverness will welcome the news a ground investigation (GI) contract for Berriedale Braes is expected to be awarded later this month.
Subject to the mandatory standstill period, Transport Scotland will award the £90,000 contract to geotechnical specialist, BAM Ritchies.
Site work is expected to begin early next month and last for three weeks.
Transport Minister Keith Brown said:
“This Government is committed to an improvement scheme at Berriedale Braes where the natural geography makes a challenging road alignment, particularly for HGVs and other long vehicles.
“As part of the ongoing design work, we are about to carry out Ground Investigation (GI) work, the results of which will inform a possible solution to the hairpin bend at Berriedale.
"We will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the design of this vital scheme is progressed as a matter of urgency and ready for next Summer.”
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.