£120,000 OVERNIGHT SURFACING IMPROVEMENTS

Project set to begin on Tuesday 1 June for four nights

• Overnight road closures in place for safety, 8pm – 6am

• Amnesties will be in place at 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, 12am, 2am and 4am to allow traffic to safely pass through the work site

A section of the A87 on the Isle of Skye is set to benefit from an improved road surface with works set to get underway next week.

The £120,000 project will see over 500 metres of resurfacing improvements completed on the A87 east of Breakish, creating a smoother and safer journey for road users.

The overnight improvements are scheduled to begin on Tuesday 1 June and are expected to take four nights to complete. The project will take place between 8pm and 6am each night with surfacing due to be completed by 6am Saturday 5 June, subject to weather conditions.

Due to the narrow carriageway width at this location on the A87, work will be carried out using a full road closure to ensure the safety of operatives and road users alike. As there is no suitable diversion route available, amnesties will be implemented at 9pm, 10pm, 11pm, 12am, 2am and 4am each night. During these times vehicles will be safely escorted through the site using a 10mph convoy traffic management system. Motorists are encouraged to arrive in good time to ensure they are accommodated within the amnesty periods.

The A87 will be open during the daytime with a 30mph speed limit in operation to ensure vehicles can safely pass through the works on a temporary road surface.

Access for emergency services will be maintained at all times.

Strict physical distancing protocols, in accordance with Scottish Government COVID-19 guidance, will be implemented to protect the operatives that are undertaking the works.

Commenting on the improvements, Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative said: “The £120,000 resurfacing project to the east of Breakish will greatly improve this section of the A87 on the Isle of Skye.

“Overnight road closures are essential to the safety of roadworkers and road users given the narrow width of the road. We’ve taken steps to limit the overall impact of the project by carrying out the works overnight and by making allowance for amnesty periods.

“Our teams will do all they can to complete the works as quickly and safely as they can, and we thank the local community and road users for their patience in advance while we work on this project. We encourage motorists to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up to date travel information.”

Real-time journey planning information can be obtained by visiting www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the new mobile site my.trafficscoltand.org.