• Works begin 17 April 2023 for three weeks
• Temporary traffic lights during working hours

BEAR Scotland, Transport Scotland’s operating company, will be installing a new traffic signal controlled pedestrian crossing on the A830 Fort William to Mallaig road, near the Glenfinnan National Trust for Scotland Visitor Centre this month. The new crossing will improve road safety at this busy location for pedestrians crossing the A830 between the Visitor Centre and Glenfinnan Monument.

The initial construction work will start on Monday 17 April and take place between 8am and 4pm each week day for three weeks, with works being completed by 4pm on Friday 5 May, weather dependant. Electrical work to install the traffic signals will follow. This time of year has been selected in agreement with the National Trust for Scotland to minimise the number of road users affected by these works.

To keep roadworkers and motorists safe, temporary traffic lights will be in place during working hours and temporary pedestrian access will be arranged to allow safe access through the site. The Visitor Centre and Glenfinnan Monument will operate as normal during the construction works.

At the same time as installing the new crossing, BEAR Scotland will also undertake additional improvements associated with the crossing, including:

• Widening the existing narrow footway on the Monument side of the A830 to 2.5m, from the new pedestrian crossing to the Monument access path.

• Installing new streetlights, one either side of the pedestrian crossing, to improve road safety at night.

• New “Traffic signal ahead” signs, to warn motorists approaching the crossing.

Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s North West Representative, said, “We listened to the community and the National Trust for Scotland, who operate both the Visitor Centre and the Glenfinnan Monument. Safety is our top priority and I am pleased that the new pedestrian crossing and other upgrades will allow visitors to cross the road safely at the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre. The work follows on from previous improvements we made at this location, with the introduction of a reduced speed limit of 40mph, road resurfacing to improve surface grip and renewed road markings.

“Traffic management is essential to ensure the safety of both roadworkers and motorists. Regrettably there will be some delays, but our teams will do all they can to complete the scheme as safely and quickly as possible, and we thank the local community and road users for their patience in advance while we complete this project. We encourage motorists to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up-to-date travel information.”

Emily Bryce, Operations Manager for the National Trust for Scotland at Glenfinnan, said:

“Glenfinnan is one of the Highlands’ most popular tourist attractions and our charity welcomed almost 400,000 people to our Visitor Centre in 2022. We are expecting another very busy year and are very supportive of anything that can be done to make it safer for pedestrians to cross this busy stretch of the Road to the Isles, take a walk down to the Jacobite Monument on the shores of Loch Shiel, and enjoy the nature, beauty and history of this special place.”

Image credit: National Trust for Scotland