80-531: A82 or A-82 may refer to: A82 road , in the Scottish Highlands, from Glasgow to Inverness Dutch Defence , in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings RFA Cherryleaf (A82) , a tanker of Britain's Royal Navy Samsung Galaxy A82 5G , a smartphone [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
160-658: A roundabout , prior to the rise towards the bridge, the A828 continues south around the coast towards Connel and Oban . Just behind and to the left of the A82, as it commences to cross the bridge, is a monument to the Appin Murder that reads, " Erected in 1911 to the memory of James Stewart of Acharn, or James of the Glen, executed on this spot Nov. 8, 1752, for a crime of which he was not guilty. " After passing through North Ballachulish and Onich
240-616: A 16-mile (26 km) round trip. The A82 originally ended on the A9 to the west of the Ness Bridge near Inverness city centre. The current diversion over the Friars Bridge towards the modern A9 opened in 1986, in co-ordination with the redevelopment and extension of Inverness docks in the early 1980s and the rerouting of the A9 onto the Kessock Bridge. The Scottish Government have said that
320-433: A detour of approximately 30 miles (48 km). Because most of the A82 is single carriageway, and the local geography means a detour can be a significant distance, there is a history of strong protest about closing the road. In August 2011, John Grieve, owner of Lochleven Shellfish Company, attempted to challenge Transport Scotland's plans to close the A82 overnight five days a week, for a period of up to three weeks, around
400-533: A functional standard." A campaign group, the A82 Partnership, has been set up to encourage the Scottish Government to continue to make improvements to the route. In 2002, the A82 between Tarbet and Tyndrum was listed as the third most dangerous Scottish road in an AA study. The Scottish executive debunked the report as "misleading". A further study listed in the 2012 Collins Big Road Atlas did not list
480-499: A plan to improve Berriedale Braes ' hairpin turn. A fatal collision has occurred on that turn in September 2014 due to brake failure from a lorry . One month earlier, a lorry caught fire, causing a 77-mile (123-km) diversion, though no one was hurt. The improved hairpin turn opened to traffic on 21 August 2020. The original starting section of the A9 between Edinburgh and Polmont no longer exists as such, having been reclassified over
560-511: A popular location for tourists due to its proximity to the site of the Massacre of Glencoe , as noted by a sign in the reception that reads, "No hawkers or Campbells ". The A82 runs to the west of the River Coe and passes the modern visitors' centre before Glencoe village itself. The A82 continues along the south shore of Loch Leven beyond Glencoe and bypasses Ballachulish to cross the mouth of
640-406: A project is underway to upgrade the A9 from a single carriageway to a dual carriageway . This was due to the response in which overtaking can be dangerous and because a head-on collision can occur due to the lack of crash barriers . This started in 2015 and was due to be finished in 2025, but delays to the project meant that meeting the original deadline was going to be impossible. This project
720-501: A section of the A82 between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit closed following a rockfall, requiring an official detour of 120 miles (190 km). Along with several other roads in the Highlands, the A82 between Tyndrum and Glencoe has been installed with permanent gates that are closed in the event of severe weather. These gates are now fitted with fibre-optic illuminated signs. The road has been identified as one of several trunk roads in
800-573: Is "committed to improving the A82", and he allocated £500,000 in June 2011 to study key areas where the route could be improved. Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown called the A82 a "vital economic and social lifeline". The A82, along with the A9, has been frequently regarded as one of the most dangerous roads in Scotland. HITRANS have said that "of the 147 miles (237 km) between Balloch and Inverness, only 42 miles (68 km) can be considered to be of
880-568: Is a major road in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Inverness via Fort William . It is one of the principal north-south routes in Scotland and is mostly a trunk road managed by Transport Scotland , who view it as an important link from the Central Belt to the Scottish Highlands and beyond. The road passes close to numerous landmarks, including Loch Lomond , Rannoch Moor , Glen Coe ,
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#1732847935284960-471: Is often cited as being the most dangerous section of the road, and regularly appears in lists of Scotland's most dangerous roads. This portion of the road is mostly single-carriageway, however there are intermittent short sections of dual carriageway from Perth to Birnam, Pitlochry to Killiecrankie, south of Drumochter Summit, Slochd Summit to Tomatin and south of Inverness as well as shorter three lane overtaking sections to reduce frustration and accidents. All
1040-519: Is sandwiched between the shoreline of the loch and the mountains to the west, and it runs generally alongside the West Highland Line . The road narrows to less than 7.3 metres (24 ft) in places and causes significant problems for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), which have to negotiate tight bends and the narrow carriageway width. At Pulpit rock, the road was single-track , with traffic flow controlled by traffic lights for over 30 years. The road
1120-620: Is the longest road in Scotland and the fifth-longest A-road in the United Kingdom. Historically it was the main road between Edinburgh and John o' Groats , and has been called the spine of Scotland . It is one of the three major north–south trunk routes linking the Central Belt to the Highlands – the others being the A82 and the A90 . The road's origins lie in the military roads building programme of
1200-501: Is under tender and should start construction in 2025. The 138 miles (222 km) section between Bridge of Allan and Inverness, via Perth, was substantially rebuilt during the 1970s and 80s, including the creation of the Jubilee Bridge in 1977. The improved A9 route follows essentially the same route as the initial road except where it bypasses towns and villages instead of running through their centres. Between Perth and Inverness,
1280-679: The Ballachulish Bridge , Ben Nevis , the Commando Memorial , Loch Ness , and Urquhart Castle . Along with the A9 and the A90 it is one of the three major north–south trunk roads connecting the Central Belt to the North. The route is derived in several places from the military roads constructed through the Highlands by General George Wade and Major William Caulfeild in the 18th century, along with later roads constructed by Thomas Telford in
1360-821: The Grampian Mountains , Dalwhinnie , Newtonmore, Kingussie , Aviemore , Carrbridge , Tomatin and Moy . From Inverness the A9 runs across, through or near the Moray Firth , the Black Isle , Tore , Muir of Ord , Conon Bridge , the Cromarty Firth , Easter Ross , Dingwall , Evanton , Alness , Invergordon , Nigg Bay , Fearn , Tain , the Dornoch Firth , Sutherland , Dornoch , The Mound , Golspie , Dunrobin Castle , Brora , Helmsdale , Caithness , Berriedale (and
1440-585: The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park . The A82 follows the Luss Road along the western shores of the loch, through Arden to Luss . Toward Crianlarich , it follows the general route of the Old Military Road that runs along the shoreline in several places, but it generally keeps some distance to the west. Much of this section of the road was widened to a high quality single carriageway standard over
1520-511: The Moray Firth (the Kessock Bridge ), the Cromarty Firth and the Dornoch Firth ; and so that the A9 leads not to John o' Groats but to Scrabster Harbour , Thurso, where a government-supported ferry service takes traffic to and from Stromness in Orkney . Therefore, various towns and villages which were on the A9 are now seriously distanced from this trunk road . Between Perth and Inverness,
1600-570: The "London – Carlisle – Glasgow – Inverness Trunk Road" in which the A6 and A74 made up the rest of the route. On 1 April 1996, however, the section from Glasgow to the Dalnottar Interchange with the A898 was detrunked. The main length of the A82, as managed by Transport Scotland , is now described in statutory instruments and orders as the "Dalnottar – Inverness Trunk Road". From Glasgow to Dalnottar,
1680-524: The 18th century to allow deployment of forces in key locations within the Highlands. At this time there was already an existing road between Perth and Dunkeld, and between 1727 and 1730 a roadway was constructed between Dunkeld in Perthshire and Inverness . However, Wade had still to bridge the River Tay at Aberfeldy. Construction began in 1733 to a design by William Adam . The bridge, named Wade's Bridge ,
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#17328479352841760-465: The 18th century, further supplemented by the building of several bridges in later years. The A9 route was formally designated in 1923, and originally ran from Edinburgh to Inverness. The route was soon extended north from Inverness up to John O'Groats. By the 1970s the route was hampered by severe traffic congestion , and an extensive upgrading programme was undertaken on the 138 miles (222 km) section between Bridge of Allan and Inverness. This involved
1840-469: The 1970s than the earlier 19th century section. It approaches a freeflow junction with the A898 from Erskine Bridge and becomes a high quality dual carriageway route through Dumbarton before running to the west of Alexandria and Bonhill on a bypass constructed in the late 1960s. This dual carriageway ends at the Balloch Roundabout near the western shore of Loch Lomond , where the road enters
1920-452: The 1980s, at an estimated cost of £24 million (£102 million as of 2023), while Luss itself is now bypassed to the west of the village along a single carriageway bypass constructed between 1990 and 1992. At Tarbet , the A83 branches west to Campbeltown while the A82 continues to the north end of the loch. This part of the road is currently of a lower standard than the sections further south. It
2000-534: The 19th. The modern route is based on that designed by Telford, but with a number of improvements primarily dating from the 1920s and 30s. These include a diversion across Rannoch Moor, and another around Loch Leven which was subsequently replaced by the Ballachulish Bridge. Several travel guides have praised individual parts of the road, such as the section from Tyndrum to Glencoe across Rannoch Moor, as providing memorable driving experiences. Tourists find
2080-433: The A82 a popular route because of its scenery, and it serves as a main artery for commercial and heavy goods traffic. Transport Scotland have publicly declared a commitment to improve congestion and safety along the road. Some sections are occasionally closed for maintenance, which has resulted in strong protest from the local community, and the road has been criticised for its poor accident record. At 167 miles (269 km),
2160-546: The A82 approaches Drumnadrochit, it passes Urquhart Castle before turning inland, away from the loch shore, to approach the village. The A82 continues at the north end of the loch, along the western edge of the River Ness , which runs parallel alongside the canal towards Inverness city centre. Immediately after entering the urban area, the road crosses the canal at the Tomnahurich Swing Bridge. Now inside Inverness,
2240-650: The A82 as one of the most at risk to safety. In 2017, Member of the Scottish Parliament David Stewart criticised the A82's safety record in Inverness after a man was killed after being hit by a car on the road. The A82 around Loch Lomond has become increasingly congested as the loch has become more popular with tourists for boating, particularly since restrictions were put in place in the Lake District , coincident with improvements to routes leading to
2320-469: The A82 has been said to contain some of the most spectacular scenery in Scotland. The Guardian ' s Simon Warren described it as "the most beautiful and spectacular location in the whole of Britain", though recent concern has been raised over the proliferation of tourist traffic. Coaches and HGVs in particular have caused significant problems with congestion. The road descends the Pass of Glen Coe and crosses
2400-528: The A82 is "a vital artery for communities in the western Highlands and links Fort William, the Highlands and the Western Isles with Glasgow and the Central Belt ." The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS) believe the economic benefits of the A82 extend far beyond its basic route, as it connects with several other trunk roads to the Western Highlands and related islands, including all of
2480-458: The A82 is a main through route, tourists are suggested to use the older Military Road instead, so as to avoid the coach and HGV traffic. Cyclists and walkers can use the Great Glen Way between Fort Wiilam and Inverness. This is part of National Cycle Route 78 (The Caledonia Way) from Campbeltown to Inverness. There is a short diversion from the loch at Invermoriston , where the A82 crosses
A82 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2560-471: The A82 is the second longest A-road in Scotland, after the A9 , and has been described as the "slower but more scenic route" of the two. Initial sections of the road were built by General George Wade from 1724 onwards, though much of the current route was constructed by Thomas Telford in the 19th century. The A82 was one of the first trunk roads, which were created in 1936, and has historically been described in official government documentation as part of
2640-724: The A82 turns to cross the River Nevis . To the north of town the A830 "Road to the Isles" runs west to Glenfinnan and Mallaig . North of Fort Willam, the A82 runs alongside the West Highland Railway through Leanachan Forest towards Spean Bridge . It crosses the River Spean at a bridge constructed by Telford in 1819, but the village is named for the earlier "High Bridge"' constructed in 1735–36 by George Wade about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to
2720-669: The A82 turns to run northward along the Great Glen , which it continues to do for the remainder of the route up to Inverness. It passes the A861 to the Corran Ferry over to Ardnamurchan in the west. The road here, as it was previously along Loch Lomond, is tightly situated between Loch Linnhe and the mountains up to Fort William , which is located about 7 miles (11 km) from the Corran narrows. Various hotels and bed and breakfasts are situated along
2800-431: The A9 forms part of Euroroute E15 . Inverness is the northern terminus of this route. From Falkirk to Bridge of Allan the A9 runs through or near Bannockburn , Plean , Torwood , Larbert and Stirling . From Bridge of Allan to Inverness the A9 runs through or near Lecropt , Dunblane , Blackford , Auchterarder , Gleneagles , Broxden Junction , Perth , Birnam , Dunkeld , Pitlochry , Blair Atholl ,
2880-405: The A9 in the 1970s stimulated the economy of Inverness: "Without the improved access as a result of the A9 improvement, this would almost certainly not have been possible." The partnership believe that with comparable improvements to the A82, an additional income of £76 million could be generated in the area. Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond stated whilst in office that the government
2960-499: The Corstorphine junction in the west of the city, branching north off the A8 . The route went through Kirkliston and onwards to Polmont and Falkirk. The road then followed the now familiar route to Stirling and then up to Perth and onwards to Inverness, going through numerous villages en route. The original A9 terminated at Inverness, but in the years that followed it was extended to include
3040-592: The Highlands that is close to the A82. The A82 then follows the eastern shore of Loch Lochy up to Laggan . The village has no clearly defined centre but broadly follows the course of the A82 over 1.2 miles (2 km), from the Laggan Locks on the Caledonian Canal to the swing bridge that separates the canal from Loch Oich . This bridge is close to the "Well of the Seven Heads" monument, which allegedly contains
3120-414: The Highlands that suffers from problems with deer -vehicle collisions. In 1996, Transport Scotland set up a number of vehicle activated warning signs alerting drivers attention to nearby deer. Four of these signs are on the A82 between Tyndrum and Glencoe. The A82 has a wide variety of junctions along its length, ranging from high-quality grade-separated interchanges near Glasgow, to simple T-junctions in
3200-626: The Keir Roundabout, just south of Dunblane , and continues north as a dual carriageway to Perth bypassing Dunblane, Blackford and Auchterarder . At Broxden Junction on the outskirts of Perth, the A9 meets the M90 motorway which carries traffic from Fife and the Forth Road Bridge . Broxden Junction is one of the busiest and most important road junctions in Scotland, with links to all eight Scottish cities. The section between Perth and Inverness
3280-503: The Loch from the south. On regular occasions, the road is completely congested from Luss to the Balloch roundabout. The section from Tarbet to Crianlarich, north of the section improved in the 1980s and 90s, was frequently closed overnight during September 2012, because the carriageway had become worn out and needed urgent repair, including failed surfacing and potholes. Because of the narrow width of
A82 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-574: The River Moriston and the A887 provides another route back to the A87 and Skye. Telford's original stone bridge over the river, constructed in 1813, was replaced by a more modern structure as part of an overall improvement to the A82 undertaken in the 1930s. Between Invermoriston and Drumnadrochit , there is a roadside memorial to John Cobb , who was killed on the loch attempting to beat the water speed record. As
3440-482: The Scottish Highlands. Citations Sources 55°52′11″N 4°16′03″W / 55.8698°N 4.2674°W / 55.8698; -4.2674 A9 road (Great Britain) The A9 is a major road in Scotland running from the Falkirk council area in central Scotland to Scrabster Harbour , Thurso in the far north, via Stirling , Bridge of Allan , Perth and Inverness . At 273 miles (439 km), it
3520-581: The West Highland Railway. The current alignment began construction in 1927, and included a general widening of the carriageway from Tyndrum to Glencoe to 18 feet (5.5 m). Work was delayed following a disagreement with the Scottish Ministry of Transport and local councils over funding. It was eventually completed in 1933 and cost £500,000 (£37,698,000 in 2023). The 1930s road follows Telford's road as far as Bridge of Orchy , then runs to
3600-530: The Western Isles and the Isle of Skye . The population of the area served around the A82 corridor is expected to decline from 78,900 in 2001 to 72,300 by 2018, with the vast majority of depopulation to occur in the Western Isles. HITRANS believe investment in the A82 is therefore vitally important to improve the accessibility of these areas and stop the continuing population decline. They have said that improvements to
3680-450: The area is now part of Edinburgh Airport . Between Falkirk and Bridge of Allan, the A9 survives as a more or less parallel road to the M9. The link between the M9 and the A9, by Bridge of Allan, is the Keir Roundabout. A major project is underway to upgrade the A9 between Perth and Inverness . The A9's origins lie in the military roads building programme carried out by General Wade in
3760-546: The bypassing of numerous towns and villages on the route, and the building of several new bridges, notably the Kessock Bridge which shortened the route north out of Inverness by 14 miles (23 km). In the south the road's importance has been eclipsed by: Between Edinburgh and Falkirk the old A9 route has been reclassified into the A803 and the B9080 amongst others; part of the route between Kirkliston and Maybury no longer exists as
3840-528: The completed bridge to recoup costs. The realigned road north out of Dunkeld would evolve eventually into the A9, and the bridge carried the bulk of the traffic into the Highlands until the new A9 by-pass was opened in 1977. The formal scheme of classification of roads in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) was first published on 1 April 1923. The original route of the designated A9 began in Edinburgh at
3920-519: The east of Loch Tulla , while the old road runs to the other side. The project was criticised over spoiling the natural beauty of Glen Coe, but was defended by the Ministry of Transport who thought it would provide better transport links to Argyllshire and Inverness-shire. The original route of the A82 crossed Loch Leven at the Ballachulish Ferry, in a similar location to today's bridge, but there
4000-450: The following years, a bridge was built at Dunkeld , designed by Telford. The original cost estimate was £15,000 with costs to be split between the government and the landowner, the 4th Duke of Atholl . However, costs spiralled up to around £40,000. The government refused to increase their financial contribution, so the Duke of Atholl had to finance the extra cost. As a result, tolls were placed on
4080-559: The heads of seven men involved in the murder of Alexander MacDonald, Chief of Keppoch, and his brother, on 25 September 1663. The A82 runs towards the centre of Loch Oich, passes Invergarry Castle , and crosses the River Garry . Just after the bridge, the A87 heads west towards Skye , while the A82 continues along the western shore of the loch up to the Bridge of Oich at its northern end. This bridge
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#17328479352844160-641: The loch via the Ballachulish Bridge . This bridge had been proposed since the mid-1960s, and construction began in late 1972 at an estimated cost of £2m (£21 million as of 2023). An arch bridge had been the suggested design, but an asymmetrical N-truss bridge was built instead. A bearing failure on one of the supports caused delays while the rest of the structure was examined to confirm its safety, and it eventually opened in December 1975. It contains individual spans of 29 metres (95 ft), 180 metres (600 ft) and 82 metres (269 ft) from south to north. At
4240-405: The moor was followed by Major William Caulfeild , and a later route was constructed by Telford. The current alignment was constructed because Telford's road had continual problems with the loch flooding. Telford himself had proposed a completely alternative route, running to Spean Bridge via Loch Treig and Glen Spean . His plans were never implemented, though that route eventually formed part of
4320-580: The road approaching Fort William, indicating the area's esteem of tourism. The route of the old military road (from King's House/Altnafeadh on Rannoch Moor via Kinlochleven) rejoins the route of the modern A82, at the West End roundabout, just before the High Street in the town centre. The road follows a brief dual carriageway bypass along the shoreline of the loch before passing the modern station . A branch road runs east through Glen Nevis to Ben Nevis , while
4400-478: The road has been dubbed Killer A9 , because of accidents and fatalities where dual-carriageway sections merge into a single-carriageway – the principal cause being motorists driving at excessive speeds to overtake lines of slower-moving vehicles before the dual carriageway ends. Average speed cameras were installed and became operational in 2014. At the same time, the HGV speed limit also increased from 40 to 50 mph. In 2014, Transport Scotland has announced
4480-522: The road passes Queen's Park stadium and heads towards the city centre. It crosses the Ness at the Friar's Bridge, bypassing the city centre to pass through the docklands and associated industrial estates as an urban dual carriageway. The road ends at a roundabout with the A9 just south of Kessock Bridge . The original route of the A82 as classified in 1923 was described as "Glasgow – Clydebank – Dumbarton – Alexandria – Crianlarich – Ballachulish – Fort William – Fort Augustus – Inverness" and closely follows
4560-493: The road was rerouted to run along Buchanan Street , New City Road and Great Western Road, whose westward extension from Anniesland Cross had been recently completed. The route between Glasgow and Dumbarton (bypassing Clydebank via Duntocher ), has since broadly remained the same, aside from the declassification of the route to the south of the M8 when that motorway was constructed. The A82 between Crianlarich and Glencoe over Rannoch Moor has an extensive history. A route through
4640-419: The road, it was not possible to simply close the road in one direction at a time with temporary traffic signals, as is the general procedure elsewhere on Britain's road network. Transport Scotland justified these works by saying that only 5% of traffic used the road between 10 pm and 6 am, when the works were planned. The official diversion route from Tarbet to Crianlarich is via the A83, A819 and A85,
4720-475: The roadway all the way up to John O'Groats . By the 1970s, the A9 went north-west out of Inverness in what had originally been classified as the A88, following the Beauly Firth coast westwards through Kirkhill, Beauly and Muir of Ord . Continuing north through Dingwall , the road then began to follow the Cromarty Firth coast, where it followed largely the modern alignment, going through Alness and Tain (both now bypassed). The A9 from here followed west along
4800-426: The route as designed by Telford. With only a few exceptions, the basic route has remained unchanged. The renovations of the early 20th century were part of a wider road building programme (an economic stimulus) after the Great Depression. The original starting point of the A82 in Glasgow was at Trongate. It proceeded to run westwards along Argyle Street and Dumbarton Road to Dumbarton via Clydebank . On 16 May 1934,
4880-430: The route is now the responsibility of Glasgow City Council and West Dunbartonshire Council in their respective areas. The A82 runs through some of the Gaelic-speaking areas in Scotland, known as the Gàidhealtachd . In 2003, the Scottish Government announced that it would install bilingual signs on a number of trunk roads, including the A82 from Tarbet to Inverness. Transport Minister Lewis Macdonald hoped that
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#17328479352844960-404: The same route for 5 miles (8.0 km) between Crianlarich and Tyndrum . Although Crianlarich has a larger community, Tyndrum is equally well catered for motorists, particularly HGV drivers, and contains the Real Food Cafe, a transport cafe that stays open until 10 p.m. The cafe caters not only to motorists but also to walkers along the West Highland Way. The A82 enters bleak moorland at
5040-505: The same title formed as a letter–number combination. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A82&oldid=1217027863 " Category : Letter–number combination disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages A82 road The A82
5120-406: The scenic waterfalls at the Meeting of the Three Waters. This section was the location for several outdoor shots in Monty Python and the Holy Grail , including the "Gorge of Eternal Peril" scene. Near the waterfalls is a footpath up to Coire Gabhall, the "lost valley" of Glencoe, where the Clan Donald hid stolen cattle. The modern A82 splits from Telford's route just before the Clachaig Inn ,
5200-579: The signs would improve the tourism experience in the Highlands, as well as improve awareness of Scottish Gaelic. The A82 begins in the St George's Cross area of central Glasgow, at a junction with the M8 and the A804 . From here, it heads in a northwest direction along the Great Western Road for 3 miles (4.8 km) towards Anniesland Cross and passes a number of the city's terraces, including Alexander "Greek" Thomson 's Great Western Terrace, constructed in 1867, and Devonshire Terrace before widening to dual carriageway at Kelvinside . The road here
5280-423: The south side of the Dornoch Firth coast before reaching Bonar Bridge where the road turned sharply eastwards on the north side of the Dornoch Firth. On reaching the village of Dornoch , the A9 headed north along the coast, going through several villages before reaching the town of Wick . The final stretch continued north along the coast before it finally reached John O'Groats. Between Perth and Inverness ,
5360-424: The towns on this section of the route have now been bypassed. The section from Keir Roundabout to Inverness had average speed cameras installed in 2014 and at the same time the single carriageway speed limit for HGVs was increased from 40 mph (65 km/h) to 50 mph (80 km/h). In the north, beyond Inverness, the A9 designation has been transferred in response to construction of new bridges across
5440-472: The village of Onich, between Glencoe and Fort William. The Scottish Herald reported that, if the road closed, a journey from Oban to Fort William, normally 44 miles (71 km), would require diverting via Loch Tay and Ballinluig , a journey of 166 miles (267 km). In April 2013, Transport Scotland announced further plans to close the A82 at Onich for resurfacing, but they postponed the work due to an adverse reaction from local business owners. In 2015,
5520-409: The west. There is a junction with the A86 , which runs eastwards towards Newtonmore and the Cairngorms . The Commando Memorial , a 5.2-metre (17 ft) high structure dedicated to the original Commandos in World War II , who used the local area as a training ground, is located just north of the village at a junction with the B8004 to Gairlochy . This memorial provides one of the best viewpoints of
5600-412: The western fringes of Rannoch Moor , to the north of Tyndrum. The road climbs across the moor and reaches a peak height of 348 metres (1,142 ft) near Beinn Chaorach, the highest overall point on the A82. It meets the old Military Road near the Kingshouse Hotel next to the River Etive , and the road turns westward past Buachaille Etive Mòr down Glen Coe towards Glencoe village . This section of
5680-438: The western shore of Loch Ness . This is on the opposite side of the loch to Wade's Military Road, because Telford wanted to connect the various communities along the western shore. Construction of the road started in 1805 but was delayed in 1807, when the building contractors abandoned the work with seven bridges yet to be completed. It was mostly complete by 1809 at an estimated cost of £5,800 (£532,000 as of 2023). Because
5760-460: The years in a variety of ways; part of the original route between Kirkliston and Maybury no longer exists at all as the area is now part of Edinburgh Airport. The modern A9 begins at the M9 junction 5 (Cadgers Brae) on the outskirts of Polmont, just east of Falkirk , and continues through Falkirk itself and on though Larbert, Stirling and Bridge of Allan. It then becomes a primary route dual carriageway at
5840-502: Was an all-day route while the ferry at that time closed daily between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. and cost up to five shillings to use. It continued to follow the route via Kinlochleven until the opening of the Ballachulish Bridge. The Kinlochleven road is now the B863, but still remains an important local road since the town reinvented itself as a tourist destination following the close of the smelter works in 2000. The Ballachulish bridge saves
5920-503: Was announced in 2011. Only two out of the eleven sections have been completed as of December 2023. In October 2024, prepatory works began on the six mile section between Tomatin and Moy, with an expected cost of £308 million pounds. Full construction work is to begin in spring 2025 and due to finish in three years time. A similar scheme is in place for the A96 between Aberdeen and Inverness. Tay Crossing to Ballinluig sections (close to Perth)
6000-437: Was completed within the year, but Wade wrote "The Bridge of Tay... was a work of great difficulty and also much more expensive than was calculated." At a cost of over £4,000, the bridge became the most expensive item on Wade's road building programme. For most of its length between Perth and Inverness, the route was identical to the A9 prior to the commencement of the major upgrading works in the 1970s. In 1802, Thomas Telford
6080-404: Was constructed in 1932, bypassing the 1850s Bridge of Oich , a Taper Suspension Bridge built by James Dredge . The A82 continues along the general line of Wade's Military Road up to Fort Augustus , crossing the canal at a swing bridge next to the locks in the village. The final 36 miles (58 km) from Fort Augustus to Inverness is mostly on the alignment of Telford's Road, running along
6160-585: Was originally built as a turnpike road in 1816 and widened to its current state in the early 1970s. All the trees along the route were preserved owing to environmental concerns. The Great Western Road has been described by Tam Galbraith as "the most noble entry to any city in Europe." The road continues beyond Anniesland Cross as an extension of the Great Western Road, which was constructed between 1922 and 1924, making it easier to widen to dual carriageway in
6240-512: Was requested by the Lords of the Treasury to carry out a survey of the interior of the Scottish Highlands. In his report, he highlighted the inadequacy of the old military roads to meet the requirements of the general population. In particular, he noted the difficulties caused by the absence of bridges over some of the principal rivers. As part of the improvements to the road system that were carried out in
6320-465: Was then no through route around the loch. However, the development of the aluminium works at Kinlochleven and the construction of the Blackwater Dam in 1907 resulted in the construction of a new road around the full extent of the loch, from Glencoe to North Ballachulish, by the 1930s. On 16 May 1934, the Ministry of Transport announced they would divert the A82 along this road, principally because it
6400-512: Was widened in 2015 as part of a £9 million improvement programme, including a new viaduct bringing the carriageway width to modern standards. The north end of the loch is at Ardlui , after which the A82 continues to follow the Highland Line along Glen Falloch , a typical glacial valley , towards Crianlarich . The road runs to the west of Crianlarich village itself on a 0.81-mile (1.3 km) bypass completed in 2015. The A82 and A85 share
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