Final phase will hold back Highland floods

THE final piece of the jigsaw has clicked into place in the scheme to protect 600 Highland homes from flooding.
Final phase of the Inverness South West Flood Relief Scheme has been completed and the £16m project has gone into operation. Operational and flood flows that would have normally passed through the Culduthel, Lochardil, Drummond and Hilton areas will now be diverted down the newly-completed channel to outfall into the River Ness via the Holm Burn.
The construction phase started in summer 2010 at the River Ness and works have continued towards the upper intake on the Ault na Skiah Burn to the south of Fairways Golf course until now.
Phases one and two were completed by George Leslie Ltd, phase three by Global Construction, phase four by RJ Macleod Ltd and the Holm Burn Bridge was built by Balfour Beatty. The designers of the scheme were AECOM and works were supervised throughout by The Highland Council.
Councillor Graham Phillips, transport committee chairman, 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.”
The council is also undertaking a £24.75m project to protect 800 homes and 200 businesses in the city centre from flooding. Preparatory works are said to be well under way in readiness for construction of the flood defences.