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A82 Inverness Walking & Cycling Improvements13 May 2020
A82 Inverness Walking and Cycling Improvements - Tomnahurich Roundabout to Longman Road
A82 Inverness Walking & Cycling Improvements13 May 2020
A82 Inverness Walking and Cycling Improvements
Transport Scotland and BEAR Scotland are developing plans to improve road safety for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised users on the A82 between the Longman Road Roundabout and the Tomnahurich Roundabout.
The A82 passes through central Inverness and is a busy urban environment with the result that many pedestrians and cyclists are required to cross this often busy road. The primary intention of these proposals is to improve road safety and reduce the risk of collisions involving vulnerable road users. It is also anticipated that by improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists this will help to encourage greater active travel which is a key priority for Transport Scotland.
As a trunk road, the A82 forms a strategic link through Inverness, conveying over 30,000 vehicles per day. Trunk roads allow the efficient and effective movement of people and freight throughout Scotland, therefore supporting local and national economic growth. Transport Scotland aims to deliver improvements which improve facilities for non-motorised users such as walkers and cyclists, whilst still retaining the movement function of the trunk road. The successful delivery of future improvements will ultimately depend upon collaborative working with all key stakeholders.
As part of the ongoing process of involving the local community in these proposals, a public exhibition event was held in Inverness at the Cameron Youth Centre in August last year. This event allowed the local community to consider the outline proposals and input into the design process. Over 100 people attended throughout the day, with many more responses submitted after the event. Those who attended included local members of the public, elected representatives, staff from local employers and members of cycling and walking groups.
The valuable input from local stakeholders has been fully reviewed, analysed and considered. This has been very useful in the further development of the project and, where possible, the designs have evolved to take account of the comments and suggestions received. The project contains elements which can be implemented in the short term, whilst others require more comprehensive planning and design to ensure that the optimum solution is constructed. Transport Scotland will also prioritise any improvements which target locations with a history of pedestrian and cyclist collisions.
An outline programme of improvements that align with Transport Scotland’s Strategic Road Safety Plan have been developed to improve road safety along this route and encourage safer active travel. To assist with keeping members of the public and interested stakeholders up to date with the proposals as they develop, BEAR Scotland will produce a newsletter every two months showing the latest progress on scheme development. To view the latest copy of the newsletter click the link below.
To stay up to date with the latest news from the North West Unit follow us on twitter: @NWTrunkRoads
BEAR Scotland_A82 Tomnahurich Road Safety Improvements_Issue 6 Newsletter (May).pdf
North East Connections Spring 2020 - out now!21 Apr 2020
The Spring issue of North East Connections is out now!
North East Connections Spring 2020 - out now!21 Apr 2020
The Spring issue of North East Connections, BEAR Scotland's newsletter for the North East Trunk Road Unit, is out now!
Read more about the latest news from the North East network, including a round-up of our winter service, a closer look at an innovative surfacing project on the A92 in Fife as well as an overview of our Traffic and Road Safety team.
Stay up to date with the North East Unit by following us on Twitter @NETrunkRoads or via BEAR Scotland's Instagram page.
Click here to read the latest issue or download a copy via the link below.
BEAR Scotland North East Connections_Stakeholder Newsletter_Spring 2020.pdf
BEAR Scotland ‘Name A Gritter’ Competition10 Apr 2020
BEAR Scotland ‘Name A Gritter’ Competition.
BEAR Scotland ‘Name A Gritter’ Competition10 Apr 2020
Colour-in a picture of a gritter and give it a name for your chance to name a real-life BEAR Scotland gritter and win a £50 book voucher!
**UPDATE - The competition has now been extended until Monday 25 May!**
To help beat boredom while staying at home to keep safe, BEAR Scotland is inviting kids (and big kids!) to take part in a colouring-in competition to name one of our gritters which will be spotted out on the network next winter.
This is a unique opportunity to help us come up with a new name for one of the 32-tonne, eight-wheeled vehicles – some of the largest in the UK - which work hard to keep trunk roads safe and clear each winter. The gritter will join the likes of Gritty Gritty Bang Bang, Sir Andy Flurry and For Your Ice Only in spreading salt and clearing snow from trunk roads in Scotland. For inspiration, take a look at Transport Scotland’s trunk road gritter tracker which has all of Scotland’s trunk road gritters marked on a map.
The winning name will be displayed on a gritter based at the BEAR depot closest to the location of the winning entrant, so the winner will be able to spot their gritter out and about on the nearby roads later this year. There will also be a special prize of a £50 book voucher for the winning artist!
Who is BEAR Scotland?
BEAR Scotland is a leading provider of road maintenance services across Scotland. We manage and maintain trunk roads across the north east and north west of the country, as well as the A92 between Dundee and Arbroath and the M80 between Stepps and Haggs. Teams carry out just about every imaginable task to keep routes safe and clear for motorists. From August 2020, BEAR will also be managing trunk roads across the south east of Scotland, including the iconic Queensferry Crossing and Forth Road Bridge.
How to enter:
• Click on the link at the very bottom of this page to download a PDF of a gritter in a snowy landscape. Then, simply print out in black and white on A4 paper and colour in using whichever materials you like. Alternatively, colour the picture in digitally if preferred!
• Entrants must colour in a picture of a gritter and give it a name, which should be written on the windshield of the gritter in the picture. A maximum of four words per name can be allowed (to ensure it can fit on the side of the gritter!)
• Take a picture or a scan of the coloured-in gritter and send it to BEAR at NameAGritter@bearscotland.co.uk.
• Please make sure to include the artist’s name, name of parent or guardian (if artist is under 18), a contact phone number and address.
• There will be a £50 book voucher for the person who came up with the winning entry.
• The winning gritter name will be displayed on a vehicle from one of BEAR Scotland’s depots and we’ll do our best to arrange as close to the winner’s location as possible!
• The closing date for entries is midnight on Monday 25 May, with the winning gritter name revealed later in the month.
• To view the full Terms and Conditions visit: https://bit.ly/NameagritterTandCs
All entries must be submitted to BEAR Scotland electronically via NameAGritter@bearscotland.co.uk. Please contact NameAGritter@bearscotland.co.uk for more details on how to take part.
North West Connections - Spring 202008 Apr 2020
North West Connections - Spring 2020 - out now!
North West Connections - Spring 202008 Apr 2020
The latest issue of North West Connections, BEAR Scotland's newsletter for the North West Trunk Road Unit is out now!
Read more about the latest news from the North West network, including a round-up of our winter service, a look back at some of our recent projects and how we've been working with veteran's charity Scotland's Bravest Manufacturing Company.
Stay up to date with the North West Unit by following us on Twitter @NWTrunkRoads.
Click here to view the latest issue or download a copy via the link below.
BEAR Scotland North West Connections_Stakeholder Newsletter_Spring 2020.pdf
BEAR Scotland response to Covid-19 outbreak26 Mar 2020
BEAR Scotland response to Covid 19 outbreak
BEAR Scotland response to Covid-19 outbreak26 Mar 2020
26.03.20
We are currently working in difficult and unprecedented times. The safety of our employees and supply chain is always of paramount importance and we’re closely following Government advice in relation to our staff and our business. This is changing on a daily basis, and we’re doing our utmost to adhere to any new advice as it emerges.
At present all staff are working from home where possible. We have taken the decision to suspend operations, and are making safe various worksites this week following which only essential services such as our Incident Control Room, winter maintenance, emergency response and essential road safety operations will continue. We’ve also taken steps to make our workplaces as safe as possible with strict protocols in place which limit contact and adhere to social distancing guidance.
As noted, we are currently working to ensure that any ongoing non-essential road maintenance projects are paused and left in a manner which is safe for public use. Any work which was scheduled to begin in the coming weeks will be reprogrammed, and stakeholders will be kept informed of any new dates.
BEAR provides an essential service ensuring the trunk road network across the north of Scotland along with the A92 Dundee to Arbroath and the M80 Stepps to Haggs are fit for the purpose of national resilience including delivery of food and medical supplies, as well as ensuring vital access for the use of the emergency services and critical workers.
We are working to support the Ministerial call for efforts to be focused on delivering critical services to safeguard our road network, helping to ensure that Scotland’s emergency services can still reach those most in need during this difficult time.
We will endeavour to provide updates to this situation as they arise. In the meantime, please stay home and follow advice for keeping safe.
BEAR Scotland awarded responsibility for South East Trunk Roads19 Mar 2020
BEAR Scotland awarded responsibility for South East trunk roads
BEAR Scotland awarded responsibility for South East Trunk Roads19 Mar 2020
BEAR Scotland, one of the leading integrated services providers in road maintenance, has now been confirmed by Transport Scotland as the Operating Company for the new Network Management Contract to manage and maintain Scotland’s South East Trunk Road Unit.
The news means that BEAR takes responsibility for overseeing the 314 miles of trunk roads across the South East of Scotland from 16 August 2020 until at least 2028. For the first time the South East Unit includes the iconic Queensferry Crossing and Forth Road Bridge, which was previously a separate contract.
Iain Murray, Managing Director of BEAR Scotland said:
“We are delighted to have been appointed the trunk road operator for the South East Trunk Road network, which now includes the Queensferry Crossing and Forth Road Bridges. Our long-standing experience in trunk road maintenance across Scotland will mean we can continue to deliver and develop a high-level service with a key focus on customer care for the people and organisations that rely on this strategic road network for years to come.”
As an operating company working for Transport Scotland, BEAR Scotland is responsible for the inspection, management and maintenance of the trunk road assets to ensure the safety of all road users and stakeholders. In addition to major road and bridge maintenance work, BEAR Scotland will undertake winter service operations, provide an incident response service, as well other cyclic maintenance activities.
BEAR currently operates major-term maintenance contracts including the management and maintenance of the North West and North East trunk road units of behalf of Transport Scotland. It also manages the M80 Stepps to Haggs Project and the A92 Dundee to Arbroath Dualling.