Naver Bridge

Naver Bridge

Location Map ( geo)

View gallery (15)

From:

Bettyhill

To:

Tongue

Location

Bettyhill

County

Sutherland

Highway Authority

Highland

Opening Date

1881, 2025 (planned)

Additional Information

Bridge Type:

Girder Bridge

On road(s)

A836

Crossings related to the A836

Pentland Ferry • Bonar Bridge • Halladale Bridge • Altnaharra Bridge • Black Bridge (Lairg) • Strathy Bridge • Bridge of Isauld • Bridge of Forss • Inchkinloch Bridge • Borgie Bridge • Reay Bridge • Vagastie Bridge • Crask Bridge • Rhian Bridge • Dalchork Bridge • Armadale Bridge • Fiag Bridge • Wester Fearn Bridge

Crossings related to the North and West Highlands Route

Halladale Bridge • Laxford Bridge • Kyle of Tongue Causeway • Kylesku Bridge • Duartmore Bridge • Skiag Bridge • Ullapool Bridge • Polla Bridge • Hope Bridge • Drochaid Mhor • Rhiconich Bridge

Looking across the bridge

The Bridge at Invernaver is an unusual construction, with the parapets actually being plated girders, which carry the load of the structure. The bridge has 3 spans, supported by two stone piers in the river channel and was built by the Duke of Sutherland in 1881. The single track road across the bridge is the A836, which swings sharply on the eastern bank, and less so to the west. There are small parking areas on both sides, away from the passing places and swing areas needed to allow traffic to pass easily across.

Replacement bridge

Due to the condition of the bridge, a contract was awarded to Fairhurst in May 2021 to design a replacement bridge.

The new bridge will be a three-span structure with two piers in the river, it will carry a two lane road and footways. It will be constructed off-line, slightly to the south (upstream) of the existing bridge, which will allow an improved alignment of the road, slightly smoothing the curves on either side, this will also allow the existing beige to remain in use during the construction work, which will be demolished once the new bridge is open,

A contract inviting tenders to construct the new bridge was due to be published in February 2023, but this was postponed due to budgetary pressured, this was expected to delay the project by up to a year.

In June 2024 it was announced that a contract to construct a replacement bridge had been awarded to Wills Bros Civil Engineering,. Work is planned to start in early August 2024, with the new bridge being complete in the autumn of 2025.

Junction

A mile to the south of the bridge, but still just above the river bank, the main A836 swings westwards, with the B871 continuing south along the river through Strath Naver. The junction is a simple give-way T Junction, which has been re-aligned from the original sharp fork to allow vehicles to more easily turn either way out of the side road.