Tore Roundabout
Tore Roundabout | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Location | |||
Tore | |||
County | |||
Ross-shire | |||
Highway Authority | |||
Transport Scotland | |||
Junction Type | |||
Roundabout | |||
Roads Joined | |||
A9, A832, A835 | |||
Junctions related to the A832 | |||
Junctions related to the A835 | |||
The Tore roundabout may not seem much to the casual observer, but in Sabristic terms it is quite an important spot. It is the northern end of the most northern section of significant dual carriageway. It is the most northerly roundabout junction between two primary routes, and before it was constructed in the early 1980s it was a simple, if skewed crossroads between the B9162 and A832, while today the B-road is long gone, replaced by the mighty A9 and A835.
The roundabout actually sits slightly to the west of the old junction, with the A832 being realigned to meet it. The A9 in each direction is new-build, albeit the southern dualled section running parallel to the old B9162, while to the northwest that B road has been reconstructed as the new A835 towards Ullapool.
The old junction can still be found by travelling a short distance east along the A832, which is initially the old B9162 route from Conon Bridge. The first turning to the right, now a dead end, is the old A832 to Muir of Ord, cut off by the new A9. The second is the continuation of the former B road south towards Inverness, which has been realigned to meet the A832 at right angles, the pavement following the old road line. Whilst there was clearly a brief multiplex between the two routes, it is uncertain what priorities lay at the two junctions, particularly the north one which has been more substantially changed.
History
The history of the Tore roundabout is a crucial part of the story of the A9 realignment across the Black Isle. Originally the roundabout was in operation with a short section of the new A835 constructed also. The A9 north to Findon opened in 1978 with the Cromarty Bridge opening in 1979.
Many maps of the area show the A9 to Arduille as unclassified and it was not called the A9 until the Kessock bridge was completed in 1982. The dual carriageway section to Charleston was opened in October 1981 and the A835 to Mayburgh was opened in July 1981.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
Thurso, Wick (A99) | ||
Inverness | ||
Ullapul/Ullapool, Inbhir Pheofharain/Dingwall (A862) | from this direction, the Advanced Direction Signage has place names in Gaelic, and before the English. Flag sign at roundabout is bilingual | |
Muir of Ord, Beauly | ||
Fortrose, Cromarty | ||
Inverness (A88), Muir of Ord, Beauly | now A832 | |
Fortrose, Cromarty | now A832 | |
Dingwall | short lived, now A835 | |
Dingwall | became B9162, now A835 | |
Inverness (via ferry) | became B9162, now A9, route to Inverness used Kessock ferry | |
Dingwall | now A835 | |
Inverness (via ferry) | now A9, route to Inverness used Kessock ferry |