Proposed temporary closure of a 5km stretch of the A832 near Dundonnell
Garve and District Community Council
Added at 22:04 on 09 September 2025
We have had an email from Kevin Morrison, Community Liaison Manager at SSE, for speed and completeness pasting the content here verbatim;-
"We are contacting you in relation to the proposed temporary closure of a 5km stretch of the A832 near Dundonnell in two separate phases from late October to spring 2026, and to ask for your feedback as we seek to minimise the impact of the temporary closure as far as reasonably possible. The temporary closure comes as part of permitted development activity in preparation for the installation of the underground cable section of the Western Isles HVDC Link Project, which is vital in helping achieve Scotland and the UK’s clean energy and energy security ambitions. It follows a decades-long campaign for a subsea connection from Lewis to the mainland, to unlock the vast renewable energy potential of the Western Isles. The proposed underground cable section from Dundonnell to Beauly has followed a detailed project development process, where SSEN Transmission has made every effort to mitigate the impact on local roads, redirecting the original planned route on this basis. As a result of these major revisions, the impact on the road network has been reduced by approximately 50km. The proposed temporary closure of the A832 is, however, unavoidable, and our contractor RJ McLeod has applied to The Highland Council for a temporary traffic regulation order (TTRO) which would operate over two separate phases from late October to spring 2026. Phase one would be late October to mid-December, and phase two from January to March/April 2026. This would include amnesty periods during the days of operation, details of which are provided in the indicative timetable further below.
The affected area is illustrated here: {in the graphic attached to this post}
The reason for the closure Safety is our number one priority at SSEN Transmission, and the closure is required to protect the safety of both road users and our workforce as we upgrade or replace 37 culverts along the 5km section of the route. This will allow the cable installation to commence in mid-2026 where we expect a single-lane closure to be in place for the duration of the main works taking place along the A832. The works will also improve the roads for residents and motorists by: · providing extensive ditch clearing and removal of recent rock face slips · scaling of loose rock faces to prevent future slips that may block ditches · replacement of ageing culvert infrastructure which the council could only replace when they fail, and only via unplanned emergency closures
Indicative timetable of works Provided the TTRO is approved, phase one is expected to take place from late October until mid-December 2025. Phase two will begin after the new year and is expected to be complete by spring 2026. We will confirm this in writing to homes along the route in due course. RJ McLeod intends to adopt a fortnightly working pattern of ten days on, four days off. The daily works will be ongoing for around four hours at a time, with reopening times guided where possible by stakeholder feedback. During the four days off period, the road will re-open under a single-lane closure with traffic lights. Emergency vehicle access (including for the Mountain Rescue Team) will be maintained at all times as well as access for timetabled school transport and local bus services. A more detailed programme will be made available once the working pattern is confirmed. However, initial indications are that the road will be closed to traffic throughout the day from 7am to 9pm, with daily periods of access during the following busier periods: · 08:00 - 08.45 · 12:30 - 13:30 · 16:30 - 17:30 The road will re-open overnight under a single-lane closure with traffic lights in operation.
How you can help shape our plans We are making every effort to minimise the impact of the temporary closure as far as reasonably possible, including ongoing liaison with local community councils and stakeholders to understand how it may impact them. As part of this, the company is asking the public to submit feedback on the proposed closure times and access periods, as we seek to build a fuller picture of the needs of communities, organisations, and others who use the route.
On Thursday (11 September) from 5pm at Badcaul Church, people will also be able to speak in person to our project team and provide direct feedback. We hope that you find this information helpful, share it with your community members, and we encourage you to keep in touch with the latest developments by signing up to our project update list via the same email address listed above."
Meanwhile GDCC note - This closure cannot happen without a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO). A TTRO for this particular road is issued by The Highland Council.
