Motorists heading along a busy west coast route will have to park and wait for as long as six hours before being able to cross a bridge while it undergoes improvements.
Two swing bridges on the Caledonian Canal will be closed over the coming weeks as a £260,000 upgrade is carried out.
Banavie swing bridge on the A830 Fort William to Mallaig route near Corpach will close on Monday evening for five nights ahead of closures to Laggan swing bridge on the A82 Inverness to Fort William road.
The Banavie crossing will be closed from 11.15pm to 5am from Monday to Friday while the scheme takes place.
Due to a lack of diversions available, motorists will be forced to wait in a designated area until the bridge reopens for service.
Following completion, the team will move operations to the A82 crossing at Laggan.
The works will commence from Monday, September 21, for five nights – with shorter two-hour closure periods being imposed between 10pm and 6am.
Eddie Ross, Bear Scotland’s north west representative, said closing the stretch of the A82 was unavoidable.
He said: “This project will allow us to carry out essential maintenance work on Banavie and Laggan Swing Bridges across the Caledonian Canal, ensuring they continue to function safely for road users as well as canal traffic.
“The road closures are essential in order to facilitate the painting, waterproofing and surfacing works during the project.
“We’ve arranged for the project to take place overnight and avoid working on Saturday and Sunday nights to minimise disruption as much as possible.”
The scheme will involve the painting of components on the end girders at both bridges, with waterproofing and surfacing work also taking place at Laggan Bridge.
The essential work will ensure both bridges continue to operate safely for years to come.
A second week of disruptions will also be imposed on the A82 trunk road the following week for five nights to facilitate phase two of works, with will involve waterproofing and surfacing work.
The road will remain open during this second phase of works, however temporary traffic lights will be in operation.
Bear Scotland has held consultations with emergency services, Highland Council, local businesses, transport operators, residents and other relevant people informing them of the programme of works being carried out along the route.
Mr Ross thanked the public for their understanding.
He added: “We thank road users for their patience in advance and our teams will look to complete the project as quickly and safely as possible.
“We encourage motorists to plan their journeys in advance and check Traffic Scotland for real-time journey information.”
