Councillors have drawn up plans to enhance roads in and around the Highland capital with a £900,000 package of improvements this year.
Under the scheme, almost £500,000 will be spent on major resurfacing works on 11 roads – including several of the busiest routes in Inverness.
More than £300,000 will be spent on more minor resurfacing schemes, while £100,000 will be ploughed into structural repairs depending on the local authority’s budget.
And £64,000 will be put towards road and foot bridge maintenance during the 2020/21 financial year.
Inverness provost, Helen Carmichael, last night welcomed the move to designate certain areas of work as a priority.
The representative for the Aird and Loch Ness ward added: “Members have taken the positive decision to prioritise roads maintenance of our roads that have the heaviest levels of use, while recognising that rural roads must also be maintained within the resources available to the city and area.”
The more extensive resurfacing projects are in line to be carried out at King Brude Road, Castle Street, Drummond Road, Crown Circus, Millburn Road, Seafield Road and Barn Church Road.
The anticipated roads maintenance budget for the Inverness area of around £900,000 is based on the council’s 2019/20 budget and is pending allocation by the infrastructure and environment committee.
The projected programme is based on current engineering and safety priorities, and may alter should any unexpected events take place which would mean funds have to urgently be diverted elsewhere.
Councillor Ken Gowans previously pointed out that Inverness residents contributed 40% of the region’s council tax, but said the city and surrounding area only receives 17% of the roads budget.
Council leader Margaret Davidson took up the point and received cross-party support for her recommendation to ask the council’s relevant strategic committees to complete work to “understand the Highland’s roads budget allocations and to address the key issues of investment in arterial routes in our urban areas”.
She has asked the committees to take forward the work “with pace” after the completion of the budget process.
Last year, motorists hit out about a road in Inverness which had more than 100 potholes along a stretch measuring 230ft.
Local charity worker Patricia Macdonald said the state of Dunabban Road was “horrendous”.
