Construction work complete on Inverness flood scheme

CONSTRUCTION work has been completed on the South West Inverness Flood Relief Channel - the final phase of the £16 million Inverness South West Flood Relief Scheme.

The scheme has been designed to protect 600 homes at risk of flooding on the south side of the city.

A Highland Council spokeswoman explained: “The scheme is now operational and flood flows which 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. 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 have been on-going towards the upper intake on the Ault na Skiah Burn to the south of Fairways Golf course until now.”

Councillor Graham Phillips, chairman of the council’s Transport Environmental and Community 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.”

The council is also undertaking a £24.75 million 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 flood defences.