A new £5million road linking the Highlands to the central belt will cut journey times for motorists, it was claimed yesterday.
Users of the A82 Inverness-Glasgow road will benefit from the new Crianlarich Bypass from today.
The new route will allow traffic to avoid a bottleneck where the A82 and A85 Oban to Perth road meet. It also enables road users to avoid the low bridges in Crianlarich.
Communities, businesses and tourists alike will benefit from reduced congestion on local roads.
The bypass includes the construction a new 0.8mile stretch of the A82.
Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: “This news will be welcomed by users of the A82, but also the people of Crianlarich who are well used to substantial levels of traffic flowing through the town, especially during tourist season.
“The new two lane bypass will improve access for local people, local businesses and tourists by taking much of the through traffic away from Crianlarich. However, the bypass will not only bring much needed relief to the community, it will also improve journey time reliability and transport connections for road users from across Scotland.
“We are also making further significant improvements to the A82, one of Scotland’s key roads, with the £10million Pulpit Rock project on Loch Lomondside already well-advanced with the new structure now clearly visible to road users. This project will remove traffic lights for the first time in more than 30 years.”
Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, added: “Anything that helps improve the visitor experience in Scotland is to be welcomed. The opening of the A82 bypass at Crianlarich is excellent news for Highland holidaymakers, as it will help cut the journey time to Glencoe, Fort William and the West Highlands.”