A96 Aberdeen to Inverness. Image: Sandy McCook/ DC Thomson.
Council chiefs have confirmed that the groundwork on the controversial Inverness west link bypass will start in the summer.
Colin Howell, the authority’s head of infrastructure, said the project will ease congestion in the city centre.
Some have criticised the road scheme for being unnecessarily expensive.
Mr Howell said: “It will greatly reduce congestion in the city centre, making for a safer and more pleasant environment, as well as reduced journey times and carbon emissions.
“It will also improve response times for emergency vehicles.”
North police chief Julian Innes described the scheme as “an excellent opportunity for Inverness to improve the traffic flow around the city and help to reduce the time it takes for
the emergency services to attend incidents.”
Among the the most vocal objectors to the project is Inverness businessman Brian MacGregor.
He claims the route would be £30million cheaper than the council’s current estimate of £55million if engineers tunelled beneath both the River Ness and Caledonian Canal rather than crossing them by bridge.
