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A full Transport Assessment has been prepared to assess the likely traffic impact of the
development proposals during both construction and when operational. The scope of the assessment has been agreed in advance with Transport Scotland and Highland Council.
Construction
A short term increase in traffic on the local road network is likely during the construction phase when between 50 and 250 construction personnel are likely to be working on site. As the day shift is likely to operate between 0700 and 1800 hours, construction worker traffic is likely to be travelling on the road network outside of the peak hours for background traffic, namely, when traffic flows will be lower. Civil and mechanical works traffic arriving at/departing the site would be evenly distributed over the 11 hour working day and therefore is unlikely to be detectable within the day to day variation in flow on the network. In addition, a maximum of 20 abnormal load deliveries could be expected at the site during the construction programme.
During the peak month of construction, the assessment has indicated that the construction worker traffic would lead to increases in queuing traffic at various junctions on the local road network. However, this impact would be temporary and short-lived so no improvements to the junctions are proposed.
Operation
It has been assumed that fuel would be delivered to the proposed development by road and delivered in approximately 26.5 tonne loads. When operational, the plant would receive between 40 and 60 lorry deliveries per day between the hours of 0700 to 2300 hours Monday to Friday and between 0700 to 1200 noon on a Saturday. This equates to up to 4 lorry deliveries per hour per direction on the A830 trunk road, which would be barely detectable within the day to day variation in flow on the A830. These movements have factored in the removal of ash that would be produced as a by-product of combustion.
The total level of traffic generated by the development during construction and operation has been discussed with Transport Scotland, who have concluded that there is sufficient capacity on the local road network. |
