Dozens of bollards installed on Academy Street during the Covid-19 pandemic will be removed next week.
The Highland Council has confirmed plans to take out the posts, which were installed on both sides of the city’s main route to widen the pavements for social distancing.
The decision comes after members voted to ditch Academy Street transformation plans last month.
In November 2022, Inverness councillors narrowly voted in favour of banning private vehicles from accessing Academy Street, with the aim of reducing traffic in the city centre and making it “more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists”.
However, the controversial plans sparked fierce opposition from local traders.
After two years of intense debate, councillors voted to “put the ambitious project to bed” on September 19.
Academy Street bollards to be removed in November
The Press and Journal spoke to business owners prior to the September meeting.
One trader described the Academy Street bollards as “stupid”.
They said: “Academy Street is an eyesore, plus quite dangerous with these stupid bollards still in place.”
But traders, residents and visitors will soon say goodbye to these posts.
The council has appointed a contractor to carry out road marking works as part of a project to revert Academy Street to pre-Covid traffic management.
Work is due to start next Monday, November 4, and will take between four and five days to complete.
The process will see the bollards removed just before the road marking works start.
However, the local authority revealed that not all bollards will be removed.
Those erected outside the taxi rank, in the middle of the road, on the approach to the Union Street Junction, will remain in place.
These bollards will stay as permanent traffic management measures to prevent U-turn manoeuvres.
Although work is being planned to keep disruption at a minimum, drivers using Academy Street should allow extra time for their journeys.
Most of the work will be carried out during the daytime, with some work carried out in the evening and overnight.
Public transport provision will be largely unaffected by the works, says the council.
Conversation