Concerned pedestrians and cyclists are calling for safety action at a crossing point on a busy city road where work is being done on the new West Link.
Those on foot or two wheels have long experienced difficulties finding a safe place to cross the the A82 at the southern end of Glenurquhart Road, close to the junction with Bught Drive.
At the moment, work is ongoing there to build a new roundabout by the Tomnahurich Bridge as part of the new West Link road layout which will ultimately connect it to the trunk road.
Traffic is being controlled in both directions at the roadworks and foot and cycle path diversions are in place.
But Ballifeary Community Council chairman Bill Boyd said the current roadworks reaffirmed more general concerns about people crossing at this part of the road, particularly from the cemetery side.
He is now calling for a controlled level crossing at the junction of the A82 with Bught Drive, with advanced warning signage for motorists given the slight curve in the road.
He also believes a second controlled crossing should be built near the junction of Glenurquhart Road and Bishops Road.
Mr Boyd said: “We seem to be giving priority to vehicles and in places like this where there is a high density of housing, where young people and older people are going across the road, we should be prepared to slow down the traffic quite a bit.”
Two months ago he also wrote to Highland Council highlighting safety concerns over with the exit from Bishops Road onto Glenurquhart Road due to poor visibility, and the number of vehicles parking halfway onto the pavement in this area.
He added: “This is a main trunk road and it’s very busy and very dangerous. It’s an accident waiting to happen.”
Inverness West councillor Alex Graham said: “I am sure the council contractors are taking every precaution they can but when there’s a high volume of traffic going through there is possibly more risk. I will be happy to look into any concerns that people might have.”
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: “The performance of the entire trunk road network is reviewed on an annual basis to target improvements where they are needed most. While there is nothing in our statistics to suggest there is an issue at Ballifeary the community is clearly concerned and we would be happy to discuss this with them.”
