New Inverness Campus bridge opens for active travel

The bridge, which links the Campus with the Inverness Retail and Business Park, opened today (12 June) for all walkers, cyclists, scooters and wheelchair users.

It crosses the main Inverness-Perth railway line and enables access to and from the east of the city.

The facility represents a £3.2m investment by Inverness Campus developer, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), including additional funding provided by the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland’s Places for Everyone programme.

Following the COVID-19 lockdown, it is expected the bridge will open to buses as part of wider improvements to the public transport network. The bridge will not be open for use by taxis or those in private vehicles.

Some NHS Highland employees are likely to find it a useful means of avoiding the Raigmore interchange when they need to go between Raigmore hospital and Stoneyfield.

Dan Jenkins, senior health improvement specialist with NHS Highland, said:

“Safe, efficient and accessible active travel routes are an essential component of healthy working lives. The opening of the North Bridge is extremely welcome, and this new infrastructure perfectly complements the range of active travel initiatives we provide for our staff. Along with many other workers, shoppers and recreational users we look forward to many more active journeys from here on.”

Ruaraidh Macneil, HIE’s Inverness Campus project director, said:

“This is about improving access to and from Inverness Campus by extending the low-carbon travel options that have formed part of the development from the outset.

“The new north bridge enhances the excellent footpaths and cycleways already in place. It offers better links between the retail and business park, the campus and other parts of the city, and encourages active travel.

“It’s particularly heartening to know that NHS Highland workers are finding it useful at this very challenging time for them. At HIE we are pleased to be helping to ensure that people can walk, cycle and wheel during this public health emergency whilst physically distancing and keeping safe from traffic.”

Chiquita Elvin, infrastructure manager for Sustrans said:

“The opening of North Bridge will be of tremendous value to people walking, cycling and wheeling in Inverness. As the most rapidly expanding city in Scotland, this could not have come at a better time – North Bridge, together with the existing Golden Bridge, will provide safe access across a busy road and railway to the urban outskirts, with a cycle journey time of only around ten minutes to the city centre.”