A second controlled crossing on one of the north’s busiest roads has been switched on.
Bear Scotland engineers began ground work on the crossing between Montague Row and Ardross Street, near the council headquarters, at the end of last year.
Construction on the £130,000 project was subject to lengthy delays due to the lockdown and restrictions.
Several months on, the long-awaited addition to the Inverness to Fort William trunk road is now fully operational.
Veteran road safety campaigner MSP David Stewart has welcomed the improvements to the route following a string of concerns by local constituents.
In 2017, he launched a campaign alongside local councillors voicing his concerns following the absence of a school crossing patrol on the Fort William route.
He said: “Transport Scotland said at first that a crossing there ‘could not be justified’. However, I joined local campaigners in not giving up.
“The agency listened, went on to find out the community’s views, and changed its mind and I must congratulate Transport Scotland for that.
“While the crossings will improve safety for children crossing for school, for the elderly and the disabled, there is one piece of equipment that needs to be installed on them which will help the visually impaired and Transport Scotland is now working on getting that up and running.”
The works form the second phase of the £130,000 project is being delivered by Transport Scotland and Bear Scotland.
Minor remedial work is due to be carried out in the coming weeks, weather permitting, but in the meantime the crossing will remain operational.
A spokesman for Bear Scotland said: “The second traffic signal controlled crossing at Glenurquart Road became operational on Friday afternoon, marking another major milestone in the ongoing £400,000 project in the area.
“Some minor remedial work to fully complete the crossing will take place in the next few weeks when weather conditions allow, but in the meantime the crossing is open for use by pedestrians and other non-motorised road users.
“We thank the local community and all road users for their continued patience while we worked to complete these improvements which will enhance road safety in the area.”