Major programme of £900K repair work on A82 given green light following public consultation19 Oct 2017

 

• Repairs include full replacement of crash barrier following HGV incident in May

• Proposals will see 12 projects carried out on A82 between Tarbet and Crianlarich

• Daytime road closures required for roadworker safety

• Works taking place in November to avoid peak tourism season and possible severe weather

 

A major programme of work worth almost £900,000 for the A82 between Tarbet and Crianlarich has been given the go-ahead following a public consultation with the community and other stakeholders.  

The project, which includes full replacement of over 400m of crash barrier heavily damaged after an HGV incident in May, will see 12 different road maintenance schemes carried out on the route between Tarbet and Crianlarich starting in November.  

Click here to view an interactive map of the project

Risk assessments determined that day time road closures are required to complete the safe installation of the new barrier due to the geography of the location – the narrow verge, steep overgrown embankment, drop into loch and the need to work on the slope itself to install the foundation for the barrier.    

Teams from BEAR Scotland carried out a full public consultation with the local community, Emergency Services, MSPs, MPs, the Local Authority, local businesses, residents, hauliers, transport operators and other relevant stakeholders to gauge their feedback regarding the proposals.  

The green light was given after the majority of the community supported the need for the work to take place which will upgrade the A82 and safely repair the crash barrier outwith the busier summer months. 

To make full use of the daytime road closures multiple teams of around 40 workers will complete a major package of 12 road maintenance schemes simultaneously, including:

• Up to 4km of resurfacing projects to improve the running surface and road grip

• Major drainage works stretching over 3.5km long between Tarbet and Inveruglas to address historic issues of flooding on the route.   

• Parapet repairs on a bridge at Ardvorlich as well as a stone wall at Inveruglas

• Installation of 1,300 new safety barrier reflectors and verge marker posts to increase visibility and safety at bends

• Road sign replacement and repairs 

• Landscaping cut back works

• 26km of road markings

• Road stud replacements

• Other minor repairs on the road

 

The project will get underway from Monday 6 November for 12 days.  Teams will work between 8am and 6pm each day, Monday to Fridays only, with the road re-opened in the evenings and weekends.

Access will be maintained at all times for Emergency Services, public and school buses, and any residents or businesses within the closure points.  All other traffic will be diverted via the A83, A819 and A85.  

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: 

“We’re pleased that the community have supported our proposals to carry out this major programme of work on the A82, which will allow us to safely repair the crash barrier and finally remove the temporary traffic lights that have been in place since May from the road.  

“Safety is our number one priority and unfortunately the only way we can safely replace the crash barrier is during the daytime.  To make full use of this closure however we’ll be carrying out 11 other schemes in addition to the barrier replacement.

“We’re very aware of the impact our work can have on local communities, so wanted to share as much information as possible about our proposals to gauge their feedback.   We contacted over 600 residents and businesses and also held a public information drop-in session in Crianlarich earlier this month to inform the community about our proposals and listen to any of their concerns. The majority of the responses we received recognised that this is the common sense approach to carrying out these essential works on the A82.

“We’ve listened to all feedback from the community and have amended the closure times to be lifted at 6pm each day to help with any evening commutes home.

“We’ll also provide regular project updates online once the work gets underway to share our progress during these upgrades to the A82.

“Our teams are prepared to do all they can to minimise disruption as much as possible during these works, and will work to complete the improvements as quickly and safely as they can.

“We encourage road users to plan ahead by checking the Traffic Scotland website for journey information and leaving extra time for their journey.”

Click here to view an interactive map of the project.

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org or twitter @trafficscotland.

BEAR Scotland - A82 Tarbet to Crianlarich Road improvements November 2017 - Information Pack.pdf

Back to news list

We're hiring! Come along to our Information Session in Perth in October to find out more.21 Sep 2017

Looking for a new challenge?

 

Join our team.

 

BEAR Scotland manage, maintain and improve almost 2,000km of Scottish trunk road including

over 3,000 bridges and structures through some of the most scenic, but challenging, parts of the country.

From our main offi ces in Perth, Inverness, Edinburgh, Fort William and Dundee, our team of over 500 employees deliver £80 Million of road maintenance and improvement work every year.

We currently have a range of exciting opportunities for Highways, Bridges, Road Safety and Traffic Engineers and Technicians across all levels.

A drop in information evening will take place in Perth at the Holiday Inn Express, Dunkeld Road, on Tuesday 3 October between 4pm and 8pm. This will be a chance to find out more about BEAR Scotland and the roles on offer.

With a varied workload, guiding projects from inception through to completion these demanding roles will bring out the best in you. With attractive salaries, excellent career progression opportunities and the satisfaction of a job well done, you won’t look back.

If you are up for the challenge, you could be a part of it.

 

Drop in information: Holiday Inn Express, Tuesday 3 October between 4pm and 8pm.

 

Address: Holiday Inn Express, 200 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 3AQ

 

BEAR Scotland_Recruitment Drive 2017.pdf

Back to news list

Two pedestrian crossings proposed for A96 in Elgin at Dr Gray’s Roundabout and South College Street14 Sep 2017

Two traffic signal controlled crossings are proposed to be installed in Elgin on the A96 at Dr. Gray’s Roundabout on West Road and at South College Street.

Here you will find information on how the crossings came about, their benefits and detailed plans.

The A96 is the trunk road maintained by BEAR Scotland Ltd on behalf of the Trunk Roads Authority, Transport Scotland. The local road network is maintained by Moray Council.

 

Why and how we have considered the crossings?

We received frequent communication over a number of years from various members of the public and local groups, staff at East End Primary School, the school crossing patroller at South College Street and Elgin Academy Parent Council to investigate the possibility of installing traffic signal controlled crossings in Elgin.

These individuals and groups were concerned about the day to day safety of school pupils and members of the public being able to cross the A96 in safety. The school crossing patroller at South College Street reported numerous incidents of ‘near misses’ with vehicles failing to stop for the crossing patrol.

We undertook an investigation looking at three locations including Dr. Gray’s Roundabout, South College Street and also near Northfield Roundabout. The investigation included the following:

• Analysis of the accident history of the three locations.

• Pedestrian and traffic surveys were undertaken to identify the numbers of pedestrians crossing the A96 and the volumes of traffic on the road.

• Three locations were assessed for suitability of a crossing point over the A96. The investigation included an assessment of the existing pedestrian crossing infrastructure and the level of conflict experienced between pedestrians and vehicles.

• The numbers of children, elderly and disabled road users was assessed as part of the pedestrian survey. Key locations such as hospitals, public buildings, commercial centres and schools and colleges were reviewed to identify generators of pedestrian movements.

• The proximity of cycle and walking routes to the proposed crossings was identified. In particular, the potential for providing future cycle routes to the proposed crossing points was explored. 

• The assessment procedure for providing traffic signal controlled crossings is defined in Local Transport Note 1/95 published by the Department for Transport. This guidance was followed when determining the suitability and appropriateness of potential crossing points. The assessment undertaken recommended installation of traffic signal controlled crossings at Dr. Gray’s roundabout and South College Street but not near Northfield Roundabout.

See below link at bottom of page for plans, maps and drawings of the proposed A96 Elgin Crossings.

 

Benefits of the crossings

High levels of potential conflict between pedestrians and vehicles were found, particularly at peak times. A traffic signal controlled crossing will increase the safety for pedestrians crossing the A96 at these locations.

Due to the closely located cycle routes situated on the northern side of Elgin there is a real opportunity to incorporate the signal controlled crossings into future cycle routes in the town.

The proposed crossings will be ready to upgrade to ‘Toucan’ style crossings which would enable cyclists to use them.

By improving the provision of crossing facilities on the A96 this will help to reduce community severance and encourage modal shift by making walking and cycling a more attractive option. This could have a potential health benefit and potentially reduce the levels of car usage in Elgin.

 

The crossings in the wider context of Elgin

There are three existing traffic signal controlled crossings within the main town centre area of Elgin. These are situated close to Tesco supermarket, near the town bus station and a further crossing at Lossie Wynd. Two segregated crossing points are provided by a pedestrian subway near St. Giles Shopping Centre and a pedestrian over-bridge on Alexandra Road.

The two new planned crossings are situated away from these existing facilities and therefore add to the towns facilities rather than duplicating them.

The new crossing points will be ‘on-demand’ and will therefore only be activated and a ‘red’ stop signal be shown to traffic when a user presses the call button. At all other times the signals will show as ‘green’ allowing traffic to flow freely. This will minimise any unnecessary delays to traffic.

At the location of the South College Street crossing, a school crossing patrol operates. The traffic signal controlled crossing will therefore formalise this crossing location and result in less disruption to traffic.

At Dr Gray’s Roundabout the pedestrian and cycle surveys showed that these crossing movements were highest between 3pm and 4pm. At South College Street the numbers of pedestrians and cyclist was highest during the period 8am to 9am; and, We recognise that there is likely to be additional delay to drivers on the A96 and this has been carefully considered against the safety benefits for pedestrians and cyclists. At the South College Street crossing there are very high numbers of school pupils and at the Dr’ Gray’s roundabout there are also high numbers of school pupils but also a large volume of adult users, many of which are travelling to and from the hospital.

See below link at bottom of page for plans, maps and drawings of the proposed A96 Elgin Crossings.

 

Next Steps - Construction

It is proposed that the two traffic signal controlled crossings will be installed in the autumn/winter period of 2017/2018.

Works will be undertaken during off-peak periods, i.e. 9.30am-3pm to minimise disruption to traffic and the travelling public. Some elements of the works may require weekend working with diversions put in place.

We’ve already hosted a public information exhibition in Elgin Town Hall to discuss the project with members of the community, and initial feedback about the proposals has been very positive.  

Letters will be distributed to those in the immediate vicinity of the works before construction starts, detailing how the crossings will be installed and when works will take place. Information will be provided on social media feeds including the BEAR Scotland website and Twitter.

To assess the safe operation of the crossings when constructed, a Road Safety Audit has also been undertaken for the proposed crossings. The Road Safety Audit reviews the proposed scheme design to ensure safe operation by all road user groups.

See below link at bottom of page for plans, maps and drawings of the proposed A96 Elgin Crossings.

 

How you can find out more

Follow us on Twitter @NETrunkRoads for latest updates regarding the scheme and any trunk road traffic issues.

If you have specific comments in relation to this scheme then please e-mail them to NEConsultation@bearscotland.co.uk

BEAR Scotland are appointed by Transport Scotland to manage and maintain the North East Scotland Trunk Road Network.

BEAR Scotland A96 Elgin Pedestrian Crossings - Location maps and plans.pdf

Back to news list

New proposals for A828 road improvements following community feedback29 Aug 2017

Road to remain open during £270,000 of road improvements for A828 in September

 

BEAR Scotland has revised a programme of improvements for the A828 following feedback from a public consultation into proposals.

The programme of work, worth over £270,000, will allow for four road improvement projects to be completed on the A828 totalling to just over a kilometre of the route, without closing the road.  The upgrades will target areas of the road in need of repair and will create a smoother and safer journey for motorists.

The new programme will be carried out from Monday 18 September over six days at different sections of the route.  The road will remain open throughout the improvements however a 10mph convoy system will remain in place for light vehicles only to ensure the safety of roadworkers as well as motorists.  HGV diversions via the A82 and A85 will be in place during the day, and further notification has been carried out with the Road Haulage Association and hauliers to inform them of the plans.  No working will take place at the weekends to further limit disruption.  

The six-day programme of work is a reduced version of a larger A828 improvement project which was consulted on earlier in August.  The public consultation, which involved a postal campaign to over 2,000 addresses, invited community feedback on proposals to carry out over £700,000 of improvements across 14 different schemes on the A828 trunk road.  The original plans required up to ten day-time closures of sections of the road in order to carry out the project safely and also due to the restrictions which apply to accessing surfacing materials from quarries at night-time. 

After reviewing all feedback from over 100 responses, a new reduced programme of improvements has been prepared which will see four of the original 14 projects carried out, with a further six projects to be phased throughout the remainder of the current financial year.  The four larger resurfacing schemes requiring road closures have been postponed and with the aim of reprogramming under multiple night-time road closures in the future.  In the meantime, these sites will receive further localised patch repairs in an effort to slow their deterioration over the coming winter period.

Commenting on the new programme of work for the A828, Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We wanted to gauge the feedback from the public on our original proposals for improving the A828, and we welcomed the large number of responses.

“These responses indicated that while the need for road maintenance and improvements in the area was understood, day-time road closures would not be an acceptable method of working, particularly during September.

“We listened to this feedback and have instead produced a scaled-back version of the programme to ensure that the A828 remains in a safe working condition.  There are four resurfacing schemes which we cannot carry out without closing the road for safety reasons, so we will instead look to re-programme these at a later date under night-time closures when agreement for the delivery of surfacing materials from quarries can be obtained. 

“We endeavour to keep traffic disruption to a minimum while keeping the road as safe as possible for motorists and our teams, and we thank all those who reached out to BEAR during the consultation for the project and will be contacting them to share our updated programme.”

The new programme will get underway from Monday 18 September.

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org or twitter @TrafficScotland.

 

Programme of work is scheduled to take place as follows:

• Monday 18 September – Kentallen – 10mph convoy with HGV restriction, 8am to 7pm

• Tuesday 19 September – Duror – 10mph convoy with HGV restriction, 8am to 7pm

• Wednesday 20 September to Friday 22 September – Appin – 10mph convoy with HGV restriction, 8am to 7pm

• Monday 25 Septmeber – Ledaig – 10mph convoy with HGV restriction, 8.30am to 7pm

Back to news list

Milestone reached as temporary bridge on A830 opens29 Aug 2017

£10M bridges replacement programme continues at Criche Bridge

 

The first milestone has been reached during the most recent bridge improvement project on the A830 with the opening of a new temporary bridge to traffic at Criche.

The £10M bridges replacement programme will see a total of seven bridges replaced along the ‘Road to the Isles’, one of Scotland’s most scenic routes.  

Criche Bridge, approximately seven miles west of Glenfinnan, is the latest bridge to be replaced. The project is progressing well with the completion of the temporary road bridge ensuring that the A830 remains open to motorists during construction.

Criche is the sixth bridge to be replaced on the A830, with the first at Dearg opened to traffic in December 2014, two at Garbh and Utha completed in 2015 and a further two at Ranochan and Arieniskill completed in 2016. Design is underway for the next bridge replacement at Shlatach, with construction due on-site next year. 

The new bridges are wider than the old structures, and the designs have incorporated stone from the old bridges to help the new structure blend in with their rural Highland surroundings.  

Construction of the new bridges has had to commence during the summer due to environmental restrictions around the sensitive watercourses, with each structure expected to take up to six months to complete.  

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “We are delighted that the scheme at Criche Bridge is progressing well, and the installation of the temporary bridge is an important step that will help ensure that any disruption to motorists is kept to a minimum.

“The £10M investment in to the replacement of seven bridges plus improvements at two others on the route will help ensure that the scenic “Road to The Isles” is kept to a safe standard for years to come.

“We thank motorists for their continued patience while we carry out the bridge upgrades, and, as with the previous five bridge replacement schemes, we urge them to take care and adhere to any traffic management that is in place for their safety.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland at www.trafficscotland.org or twitter @trafficscotland.

Back to news list

North East Connections - Summer 201707 Jul 2017

Our latest North East Connections newsletter is now out!

Read about the latest news from the North East Unit, including our summary of the past winter, our latest investments in the trunk roads and some of our work in the community.

Click here to read the newsletter, or download it via the link below!

 

BEAR Scotland - North East Connections Stakeholder Newselter - Summer 2017.pdf

Back to news list