HC Deb 01 April 1993 vol 222 cc388-9W
Mr. Kynoch

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on progress in constructing trunk road schemes during 1992–93 and on the schemes the Government propose to start in Scotland in the next three financial years.

Mr. Lang

The publication of "Roads, Traffic and Safety 1992" in March last year set out in detail our policies for developing and improving the trunk road network. In the recent and current period the emphasis of major projects is on:

  1. (1) completion of the A9 Perth-Sterling dualling;
  2. (2) completion of an M90/A90 Edinburgh-Aberdeen arterial route;
  3. (3) upgrading of the A74 to motorway.

Projects are currently being prepared to permit in the medium term:

  1. (1) completion of M80 Glasgow-Stirling motorway;
  2. (2) completion of M8 Edinburgh-Glasgow motorway;
  3. (3) completion of M77 Glasgow-Kilmarnock motorway;
  4. (4) completion of M6 Carlisle-Glasgow motorway;
  5. (5) Central Scotland Fastlink (to link M6 at Douglas with M8 at Whitburn);
  6. (6) completion of A 1 Edinburgh-Dunbar to near motorway standard and dualling schemes between Dunbar and the Border;
  7. (7) integrated roads and transport provision around the Firth of Forth.

This is an ambitious programme requiring very substantial investment.

Significant progress has already been made. Five major schemes with a total value in excess of £125 million were completed during 1992–93. These were:

A74(M) Elvanfoot to Paddy's Rickle Bridge
A74(M) Kirkpatrick Fleming to Gretna
M80 Stepps Bypass
A9 Greenloaning to Blackford
A1 Tower to Dunglass

In the course of 1992–93, some 15 major schemes—each with a cost of more than £3 million—were either under way or started. These schemes had a total value in excess of £380 million. They include seven schemes valued at £180 million to upgrade the A74 to motorway. As a result, over 65 per cent. of the Scottish upgrading, which will lead to an extension of the M6 motorway from Carlisle to Glasgow, is now either completed or underway. The final two schemes on the Perth to Aberdeen route were also started and are now well under way. These schemes will complete the upgrading of this key road to dual carriageway providing a high quality link from the north east to the motorway network. On completion, this route will be designated by a single M90/A90 Edinburgh-Aberdeen route number in place of the five route numbers at present. The opening in 1992–93 of the A9 Greenloaning-Blackford scheme also brought 'with it the full completion of the A9 Perth-Stirling dualling.

The additional £8.5 million I was able to announce in December 1992 for the roads programme in Scotland allowed me to bring forward into the financial year 1992–93 further major schemes. The schemes costing over £3 million started since 1 April 1992 are as follows:

A74(M) Lockerbie Bypass (Muirhouse to Water o' Milk)
A74(M) Water of Milk to Ecclefechan
A74(M) Eaglesfield to Kirkpatrick Fleming
A74(M) Dinwoodie Green to Muirhouse
A74(M) Cleuchbrae to Dinwoodie Green
A74(M) Ecclefechan to Eaglesfield Phase 1
A94 Brechin Bypass (dualling)
A830 Morar Bypass (Lochan Doilead to Kinsadel)
A87 Skye Bridge Approach Roads
A9 Broomhill to Logie Easter

These schemes have a total value of almost £190 million. As well as the publicly funded schemes, private finance also additionally allowed the start of construction of the Skye bridge.

I am now able to announce those major schemes with an estimated cost of over £3 million each which are expected to start between 1 April, 1993 and 31 March, 1996:

1993–94
M8 Newbridge to Edinburgh
M77 Ayr Road Route (trunk road section)
A74(M) Ecclefechan to Eaglesfield Phase II

1994–95 and 1995–96

A1 Tranent to Haddington
M8 North Lanarkshire Stage 1
M77 Fenwick to B764
A74(M) Beattock to Cleuchbrae
A96 Kintore Bypass
A96 Keith Bypass
A828 Creagan Bridge

These schemes have a total value approaching £290 million.

Our plans are, of course, subject to schemes satisfying the usual value for money criteria together with satisfactory completion of statutory procedures and the necessary preparatory work.

In addition to the major starts, funding for route action plans, road safety and other schemes has been substantially increased. This will allow work on the A76 Kilmarnock-Dumfries route and on the A9 Perth-Thurso route to be taken forward and continue the excellent progress which has already been made on the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness; the A85 Perth to Dundee; and the A7 from Hawick southwards.

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