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Specialists to assess £10m broken Inverness swing bridge

Eileen MacdonaldBBC Scotland News, Inverness
News imageBBC A close-up of a red and white sign on barriers at Torvean Swing Bridge. The sign has the word "stop" in white capital letters. BBC
The bridge has been closed for about a month

Work will begin next week to identify the problems affecting a £10m swing bridge over the Caledonian Canal in Inverness.

The Torvean swing bridge has been plagued by problems since it opened in 2021 and it has been closed to all road traffic for the last month.

Critics have said it is less reliable than the nearby Tomnachurich swing bridge which dates back to the 1930s.

Highland Council said a specialist contractor carry out a "full diagnostic [assessment] on the system operating the bridge" next week.

News imageTraffic queued on General Booth Road in Inverness near the Tomnahurich and Torvean swing bridges on 18 August.
The closure of the bridges can cause significant tailbacks in Inverness

Earlier this summer the bridge was closed for about five weeks following an oil leak.

The Torvean and Tomnahurich swing bridges are on the A82 through Inverness.

The crossings have been set up so that one is available to road traffic while the other is open to boats on the Caledonian Canal.

Torvean Swing Bridge was added as part of road improvements on the west side of the city.

There are concerns about significant tailbacks in and out of the city when one or both of the bridges are closed.