SSE transformer transportation WILL go ahead tomorrow and Friday
THERE has been some confusion over the transporting of two large transformers which are set to make the final stage of their journey to Loch Buidhe substation, five miles north of Bonar Bridge.
The transformers, which each weigh 145 tonnes, have been delivered by sea to Invergordon where they are due to be loaded on to multi-axel trailers by specialist haulier ALE, working on behalf of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).
SSE had originally stated that the journeys were to take place tomorrow and on Friday, but later announced that these had been postponed because there was no police escort available.
At the weekend, however, they said that the delivery was going ahead as planned – tomorrow and Friday, as an escort will be provided by Police Scotland.
Slow-moving convoys are due to set out from Invergordon at 9.30am on Tuesday and Friday, before making their way north on the A9, across the Dornoch Bridge and into Bonar Bridge at about 1.30pm via Spinningdale on the A949.
They will then turn right on to the Migdale road, where a series of improvements have been made over the past 18 months to strengthen and widen the existing road surface in preparation.
SSEN project manager Russell Stewart said: “Every stage in the journey of these transformers has been carefully planned, going back five years to the earliest stages of developing plans for the new substation. Once they arrive and are installed on site, they are expected to play a key role in the network for decades to come.
“Our team will be working alongside our specialist haulier, the roads authorities and the police to make sure each delivery can be completed smoothly, safely and with minimum disruption to other traffic.
“Both convoys will set out from Invergordon at 9.30am, travel along the A9 and the A949 via Spinningdale. We want to alert road users so that they can consider alternative routes, where available, next Tuesday and Friday mornings to avoid experiencing any delays.”
