VIDEO + PICTURES: Scottish Water work resumes on Inverness city centre sinkhole
Specialist work is underway to repair a sinkhole that forced the emergency closure of multiple Inverness city roads.
Castle Street, High Street and Bridge Street were closed on Thursday evening last week after a burst water main was reported.
Highland Council said the main burst while Scottish Water was carrying out works on a sewer sinkhole that began to appear on Tuesday last week.
A decision was made to fully close the roads due to the potential risk of further collapse of the road surface.
It emerged yesterday that the route may not fully reopen to traffic until Friday morning this week given waits for materials and specialist machinery, and the “complex” nature of the location.
From early this morning (Wednesday), workers including a specialist “vacuum” excavation firm were on site with drilling and digging work in evidence.
Vacuum excavation is said to provide “a safer, lower risk excavation alternative to more traditional excavation techniques”, using high suction powered trucks to excavate the ground “with little risk of damage or personal injury”.
According to the contractor Pier (UK) Ltd, it also reduces reinstatement costs, eliminates the hazard of utility strikes, minimises traffic disruption and reduces the amount of manpower and equipment required.
Contractors are set to work on reinstating the road later today, with a view to having the carriageway fully reopened in both directions by Friday.
Work to repair the sewer will continue on the adjacent footpath beyond Friday.
