Council select contractor for Stromeferry works
24th January 2012
The Highland Council has selected TRAC Engineering Ltd to carry out stabilisation works on the A 890 Stromeferry Bypass which takes traffic between Wester Ross and Lochalsh/Skye and has been closed due to the danger of rockfall since 22 December, last year.
Following a rockfall, emergency works were undertaken which did not leave a stable rock slope but which did protect the rail line. Urgent tenders were then invited from specialist rope access rock slope contractors, and the tenders were evaluated on both quality and price. TRAC tendered a very detailed submission, which clearly identified their understanding of the issues, their detailed proposals to resolution whilst mitigating risk to their workforce and the travelling public, with the clear aim of re-establishing traffic on the road as soon as is practical.
TRAC will work in partnership with The Highland Council and its specialist consultant URS, and together with Network Rail will agree the detailed proposals and programme for completion.
Works will commence as soon as method statements and all rail line protections have been agreed with Network Rail and health and the safety issues have been addressed. TRAC are planning to have both day and night shift operations and are confident to have made sufficient progress to enable the Council to partially reopen the road on the 17th February.
Their proposals are to provide robust protection to the rail line and then remove all the loose rock material by scaling and the road will need to remain closed for this stage. Netting of the slope will then be undertaken which will allow the road to be opened during the day, currently envisaged to be 08.00 to 18.00.
During night time road closures TRAC would then undertake additional rock anchor and netting works, to render the slope stable into the future. It is envisaged that works will be complete by the 17th March when the road will be fully opened to traffic.
During the works an evaluation of the full length of the rock slopes will be undertaken, and other precautionary works will be undertaken as necessary.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
At the Highland Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee. (Thursday 2 May 2024) Members had the opportunity to review the work the Council is doing to progress active travel and improve road safety before approving the next steps.
At the meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee members had the opportunity to review the last two years of the Community Regeneration Funding Programme before agreeing changes to how the 2024/25 programme will be delivered. Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Following a successful two years, it is a good time to review what has gone well and what can be done better so we can continue to build on success, and seamlessly move the focus onto how best to support the delivery of projects." "With 279 live projects and over £6million of committed funds still to be claimed, there is no doubt as to the value and impact of the programme's potential.
The Highland Council's In-House bus service pilot project was launched in January 2023. The success of its first year of operation in delivering savings and creating a valued and reliable service was highlighted at today’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 May 2024) approved the local authority's draft Ecology Strategy and Action Plan which will now move forward to an 12-week public consultation. The Ecology Strategy sets out an ambitious set of actions to tackle biodiversity loss and address the ecological emergency.
Economy and Infrastructure Committee members today (2 May 2024) agreed to direct £100K from the Council's share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to fund a new staff training programme at the Inverness Castle Experience. The funding will enable the project team to provide specialist visitor attraction training to young people identified through partners at Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
The Housing and Property Committee met on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and noted the Housing Service performance report 2023/24 that met the agreed priorities and associated initiatives in the Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028. The report highlighted a number of achievements in 2023/24 in increasing housing supply.
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.