Munlochy Junction

Munlochy Junction

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Location

nr North Kessock, Inverness

County

Inverness-shire

Highway Authority

Transport Scotland

Roads Joined

A9

Junctions related to the B9161

Shore Street Roundabout

The junction's original layout permitted all movements

The Munlochy Junction lies on the A9 dual carriageway between the Kessock Bridge and Tore Roundabout to the north of Inverness. It is the busiest of the remaining central reservation gaps on this section of the A9, and the only one with a classified road. The B9161 heads east here to Munlochy on the Black Isle, but it is also the most direct route between Inverness and Fortrose, Cromarty and many other settlements on the peninsula, so it can be very busy, particularly at peak times. To help with turning traffic, there is a long right turn lane in the centre of the A9, and the B9161 is also provided with acceleration and deceleration lanes on the southbound carriageway of the A9. Only traffic turning right out of the B road is not catered for, but most traffic for this direction will use the A832 via Tore.

The A9 previously ran around the head of the Firths further west, and so it was the B9162 that the B9161 formerly met near here. The old junction survives a short distance to the east of the current junction, where the B9161 used to turn southwards into North Kessock, with the B9162 running north west to Conon Bridge. What was, therefore, a TOTSO T junction has been converted into a staggered crossroads, the former B9162 was downgraded and turned to meet the B9161 a few metres further north, and the continuation south of the B9161 now a dead end serving a few houses.

Safety improvements

Lighting was added to the A9 at the junction

Right turns onto the A9 are now prohibited

After a number of collisions involving turning traffic at the junction, safety improvements have been made in recent years. Streetlighting was installed on the A9 in 2022; in November of the same year right turns from the B9161 onto the A9 were prohibited, initially with temporary signs and barriers, permanent alterations to the layout were made in July 2023.

With the pressure on improvements to the A9 south of Inverness, and closing central reservation gaps across the road network increasing, it seems inevitable that this junction will be grade separated at some point in the future. However, at present there are no public plans to do any work to the junction.