A “bus gate” in Inverness city centre which aims to improve transport links to the city’s new campus has opened today.
Work started in early May on Millburn Road to build a new junction to King Duncan’s Raod to allow bus-only access to the new Inverness Campus and Raigmore Estate.
Until now, buses and other traffic wanting to access Raigmore Estate had to go around the Raigmore Interchange and double back towards the city centre.
Alness-based contractors Pat Munro Ltd, on behalf of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), installed the route as part of wider access improvements to link Inverness Campus with the city centre.
Ruaraidh MacNeil, HIE’s director for the Inverness Campus project, said: “We are very keen that the campus is closely linked with the city centre. The combination of the pedestrian bridge and the bus gate will make a big difference in that respect, enabling people to travel back and forth relatively easily.
“It will also ease pressure on the Raigmore interchange as fewer buses will need to use this. Clearly there has been some considerable inconvenience over the past few weeks while the bus gate has been installed and we really appreciate the patience of all those affected.”
The new junction allows buses only to access King Duncan’s Road while avoiding the Raigmore Interchange completely.
They can then continue through Raigmore Estate and drop passengers near the pedestrian bridge to Inverness Campus which was installed across the A9 in 2013.
The bus gate includes controlled traffic signals and a pedestrian crossing.
HIE was able to piggyback some of the work onto the earlier Highland Council cycle lane works.
HIE is developing a 215-acre Inverness Campus as a world class facility to attract business, research and educational organisations, promoting collaboration and building on the area’s progress in securing highly skilled jobs.
With investment in the campus already approaching £100 million, it is expected to be one of the main drivers in the region’s economy.