A sea wall is to be replaced in Fort William after “significant deterioration” to the coastal defence that backs onto a major road.
Construction of the £465,000 project on the A82 at Achintore Road in Fort William will begin on April 1 for six weeks.
The works will see the demolition of the existing structure, then more than 550 concrete blocks each weighing 1.5 tonnes, as well as 1,200 tonnes of rock armour, will be installed along the shore to strengthen and protect the embankment, the A82 carriageway and footway.
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Eddie Ross, BEAR Scotland’s north west representative, said: “This essential £465,000 project will upgrade the current coastal defence system at this location in Fort William which is currently displaying signs of significant deterioration.
“By carrying out these works at the earliest opportunity in April, the integrity of the A82 here will be maintained, and a potential costly and disruptive failure of the embankment which supports the road will be avoided.
“We’re aware that projects of this nature can cause disruption however our teams are planning various mitigation measures, such as manual control of traffic signals and avoiding working over public holidays, to ensure delays are minimised as much as possible.
“At this stage of the planning of this project, we are keen to hear the thoughts of the local community and businesses and would encourage people to get in touch with us or attend the public drop in session in Fort William on Tuesday March 12.
“Following this consultation period, we will review the proposed disruption mitigation measures with Transport Scotland to ensure that concerns are covered before deciding the next steps.”
The project aims to avoid further deterioration of the existing coastal defence system from the tides against the sea wall.
To keep road workers, as well as motorists, safe during the works, temporary manually-operated traffic lights will be in place.
The traffic lights will be removed over the public holidays at the Easter weekend, April 19-22, and the Six Day Trials Event between May 6-11.
A drop-in session is due to take place on Tuesday at the Highland Council offices in the Charles Kennedy Building in Fort William from 4.30pm to 6pm for business owners and members of the public.
