NEARLY three years after construction work started, the Inverness South West flood relief scheme has been completed. The final phase marks the culmination of a £16m project to protect 600 ‘at risk’ homes on the south side of the city.
Flood flows that would have normally passed through the Culduthel, Lochardil, Drummond and Hilton areas are now being diverted down the newly-completed channel to outfall into the River Ness via the Holm Burn. There will be no change to the flows in the burns during normal conditions.
The construction phase of the scheme started in the summer of 2010 at the River Ness and works continued towards the upper intake on the Ault na Skiah Burn to the south of Fairways Golf course.
Councillor Graham Phillips, who chairs the Highland Council’s transport and environmental services, said: “This is a major project for the city and represents a significant investment in flood mitigation measures to deal with exceptional weather flood events that we are increasingly experiencing.”
Phases one and two were completed by George Leslie Ltd, Global Construction took the third phase and RJ McLeod (Contractors) the fourth. Holm Burn Bridge was built by Balfour Beatty. The designer was AECOM and the scheme was supervised throughout by The Highland Council.
The council is also undertaking a £24.75m project to protect 800 homes and 200 businesses in the city centre from flooding via the River Ness flood alleviation scheme between Ness Bridge and Friars Bridge. Preparatory works are well under way in readiness for the construction of the defences.
