§ 24. Sir Hector Monroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many miles of motorway or trunk road have been constructed or improved during the past seven years; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindSince May 1979 about £600 million has been invested in new construction and improvements of motorways and trunk roads in Scotland. During this period 77 major schemes, each costing over £1 million, have been opened to traffic. These have provided 22 miles of new motorway and 195 miles of new or improved trunk road. The reconstruction of the A9 from Perth to Easter Ross had been completed and substantial progress has been made on other routes, including the Perth to Aberdeen route (which has been largely upgraded to dual carriageway standard) and the A75 Gretna to Stranraer route. Altogether 24 bypasses have been opened, relieving communities of through traffic. A further 21 miles of motorway and major trunk road improvements, including three bypasses, are under construction. Over 100 major schemes, including 40 bypasses, with a total value of £580 million are at various stages of preparation. When completed they will provide a further 279 miles of new or improved road. These figures underline the Government's commitment to improving Scotland's network of main roads.