Traders fears the annual Easter tourist bonanza in Inverness will be wrecked because a vital city-centre road will stay shut until May.
Bank Street had been due to reopen on Monday to help ease congestion on the main routes around Inverness during the looming Kessock Bridge resurfacing project.
But the city’s multimillion-pound flood scheme is running three months behind schedule and the plan to allow traffic back on to the normally busy carriageway along the east bank of the River Ness has now been scrapped.
Last night, one local councillor said he feared some businesses may not survive the setback, and Inverness Chamber of Commerce branded it “hugely unfortunate and frustrating”.
Bank Street was closed in September last year for the first phase of the flood scheme.
It was supposed to be completed this month, but is significantly behind schedule after grinding to a halt in October when contractors struck massive underground rocks as they tried to sink piling at the river’s edge.
The decision to maintain the Bank Street closure during the Kessock Bridge project means that motorists will continue to face lengthy diversions over the next 12 weeks.
Local councillor Donnie Kerr said last night that he feared some businesses along the riverside would not survive.
He added: “It’s not been a great year for the traders, who are reliant on passing trade. It will have a knock-on effect for tourists who like to walk along the river. We could be in a bit of a quandary if it runs over again.”
Stewart Nicol, chief executive of Inverness Chamber of Commerce, said the council’s move was “hugely unfortunate and frustrating”.
He said: “Bank Street is a critical riverside route in the centre of the city. It will impact on the tourist experience of Inverness. Everybody is trying to extend the season to attract more visitors to the city earlier.”
One Huntly Street trader, George McLean, who runs Allan’s Barbers, said the flood works were taking their toll on his business.
He said he was making a loss of up to £100 a day at the weekend, which is normally his busiest time.
A Highland Council spokesman said: “To avoid summer peak working or further disruption at this time next year, continuation of the present closure provides an opportunity for flood wall construction and streetscaping features to be completed by early summer.”
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