Motorists on the A9 had to tackle lengthy tailbacks stretching for more than two miles as a result of roadworks on the Cromarty Bridge.
The traffic backed up all the way to the Evanton Junction, two miles north of the Cromarty Firth crossing, as BEAR Scotland conducted a series of resurfacing works.
A traffic management system was put into place for the duration of six hours – between 9.30am and 3.30pm – with a convoy system bringing traffic down to 10mph.
The works come just several months after £1.5 million worth of improvements were completed on the bridge, causing delays for almost a year.
A spokeswoman for BEAR Scotland said: “Our contractor is currently completing one day of surface patching repairs on the A9 Cromarty Bridge under off-peak timings, 9.30am-3.30pm.
“For safety, a 10mph convoy system is in place to protect roadworkers as well as road users on the bridge. Once all works are completed all traffic management will be removed and the bridge opened as normal by 3.30pm today.
“We thank all road users for their patience while the contractor works to complete these final surfacing repairs on the bridge, and every effort is being made to complete the works as quickly and safely as possible.”