A newly constructed bridge around eight miles west of Glenfinnan has opened to traffic following 10 months of construction works.
The bridge, as part of a £10million commitment from Transport Scotland to enhance road safety, is the sixth of nine to be completed on the scenic A830 route connecting Fort William and Mallaig.
Wider carriageways and verges have been introduced on the new and improved bridge to cope with the current vehicle demand. Its low maintenance approach allows for any future changes to the arterial link to be accommodated for with minimal disruption to road users and the local community.
Eddie Ross of BEAR Scotland said: “We are pleased to fully open the newly built Criche Bridge, which marks the sixth A830 structure to be completed in our bridge replacement programme.
“As with the previous bridges, we’ve made sure to limit any impact to motorists as much as possible by constructing a temporary bridge to ensure access on the A830 was maintained at all times.
“We hope the local community will be pleased with the new bridge at Criche, and we thank them for their patience over the last ten months.”
The Criche Bridge reused materials from a disused masonry bridge opposite to the carriageway to ensure its look was in keeping with the scenic surroundings. Stone was also used from the disused masonry arch bridge to aid in the construction of a bat habitat for bats displaced from the demolition.
Work is set to begin on the Shlatach Rail Bridge in Glenfinnan towards the end of the year.
