29 Nov 2019
New road opens at Westercraigs
The new 1-kilometre access road connecting Foresters Way to the A82 junction in Westercraigs was officially opened on Friday 29th November.
The £800,000 project took nine months to complete and will greatly improve connectivity from the town centre to the Western side of the city where a considerable number of new homes are planned or already occupied.
Robertson Homes, developer of nearby Great Glen Hall and Heights, has spent over a decade working with planners to ensure the prime location overlooking the Great Glen offers a spectacular quality of life with easy access to the city and forms part of the rejuvenation of the Western periphery of Inverness.
Tim Metcalfe, Regional Director (North) of Robertson Homes said, “Any new access requires careful thought and we have worked extensively with planners and environmental consultants to find the best possible fit.
“There was formerly a small, privately owned road in the area and we have worked hard to improve access and relieve traffic pressure on the Leachkin Road in particular while making landscape management and tree planting an integral part of the process. Extensive tree planting has already taken place as part of the local environmental plan.”
The road opening was welcomed by Councillor Graham Ross, Depute Provost of Inverness, who performed the opening ceremony. He said; “The new road is part of an extensive development plan for the wider Westercraigs area, which we are pleased to see taking shape. The road will greatly assist in improving traffic flow to the West of the city.”
Robertson Homes has committed some £13m of investment to the sensitive refurbishment of the former hospital buildings into Great Glen Hall, creating 60 new apartments and townhouses. Additional new housing development is expected to commence in early 2020, providing new three and four-bedroom properties, now that the access road is completed.
Sharon Spinelli, sales and marketing director for Robertson Homes, said, “The whole Westercraigs development project is a labour of love for a company with its roots in the Highlands.
“We have spent years making sure the mix, ecology and lifestyle created are just right for the wonderful environment at the western periphery of Inverness. We also expect to be an active part of the local community for many years to come, with a further, exciting release of new homes planned for 2020.”
The engineers for the new road at Westercraigs were Dougall Baillie and the specialist civil contractors were WM Donald.
