Start of construction on three major Scottish roads schemes worth £36.7M has been celebrated. 

The A77 Symington and Bogend Toll Improvements in South Ayrshire, the A75 Dunragit Bypass and the A75 Hardgrove to Kinmount in Dumfries & Galloway will enhance journey time reliability, improve safety and upgrade connections to and from the Cairnryan ports, according to Transport Minister Keith Brown.

Mr Brown said: “This Scottish Government is absolutely committed to investing in our transport infrastructure to ensure we make Scotland an attractive place to work and do business, as well as making it an attractive destination for tourists,” he said.

R J McLeod is the contractor for the A77 Symington and A75 Dunragit schemes, while the A75 Hardgrove works will be delivered by McLaughlin & Harvey. All three schemes will be completed in 2014.

Scheme Facts: A77 Symington and Bogend Toll

• The A77 Symington and Bogend Toll scheme has a construction cost of £10.6M 
• It will improve safety on the A77 by closing central reservations between Spittalhill Interchange and Dutch House roundabout and providing two grade separated junctions.
• New road bridges will be built over the A77 at Symington and Bogend Toll between Spittalhill Interchange and Dutch House roundabout
• This is expected to reduce the number and severity of accidents
• The upgrade will benefit the local economy by providing for safer access to and from the A77
• The scheme takes consideration of current planning strategies including potential development opportunities and housing developments along the A77
• The work allows potential future upgrades that will enable the speed limit to increase from 50MPH to 70MPH at this location.

A75 Dunragit Bypass:

• The Dunragit Bypass has a construction cost of £17.13M
• The scheme will improve journey times and journey time reliability on the A75, which forms part of the Euro-route between Europe, Scotland and UK via the ferry terminals at Loch Ryan in Dumfries and Galloway.
• It will provide 5.3km of new carriageway improving safety by increasing the number of guaranteed overtaking opportunities in both directions, reducing driver frustration and the vehicle platooning.
• Safety will also improve for cyclists and pedestrians with a new shared pedestrian/cycleway.
• HGV traffic will be removed from the village, improving safety and air quality for residents

A75 Hardgrove:

• The A75 Hardgrove to Kinmount scheme has a construction cost of £9M 
• It will deliver 3.6km of new road with overtaking facilities in both directions. On completion, the scheme will benefit users by improving the journey time reliability and safety on this stretch of road, improve and increase the number of overtaking opportunities and cater better for the needs of cyclists and pedestrians.

(Photo: Google Maps)

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