Transport Scotland has announced its preferred bidder for the central Scotland motorway network project.
Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP) – a consortium with a construction joint venture of Ferrovial Agroman (Amey) and Lagan – has been confirmed as the preferred bidder.
The project will complete the motorway network between Glasgow and Edinburgh by upgrading the A8 Baillieston to Newhouse. It also includes work to improve the Raith Interchange and widening key sections of the M8, M73 and M74.
When completed the new section of road will shave up to 18 minutes off journeys at peak times for vehicles using busy sections of the M8 each day. It is also expected to directly support hundreds of jobs, as well as many more in the supply chain.
Transport Minister Keith Brown (pictured) said: “The Scottish Government is continuing to invest in our transport infrastructure and the improvements made by this project will have long-lasting benefits for people across the central belt and beyond.
“This project will boost the nation’s economy by improving connections for business across Scotland and will directly support the hard-pressed construction industry. The M74 completion generated 900 construction jobs and we expect this project to be on a similar scale. There will also be opportunities for on the job training for apprentices and local employment.
“These improvements will also greatly improve road safety and accessibility by playing an essential role in reducing frustration and accidents and providing easier access to and from a number of communities and locations, such as Strathclyde Park.”
SRP already has a strong presence in Scotland, with Amey employing over 1500 people in numerous locations across Scotland, including a major office base at Eurocentral.
This is the first roads infrastructure scheme to be procured as part of the £2.5bn Scottish Government’s non-profit distributing model (NPD), which helps to deliver economies of scale and efficiencies for the public purse.
Work on the site is expected to begin late this year and the project is currently on track to be completed by Spring 2017.
In other news, work on a preferred design for accessing Laurencekirk is set to receive up to £100,000 of Scottish Government funding.
Nestrans will carry out the work on behalf of partners Transport Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council.
Welcoming the funding announcement, Brown said: “This design work, which is expected to get underway in the autumn, will help determine a preferred option for accessing Laurencekirk. The funding from Transport Scotland will contribute towards this important work that looks at the current conditions as well as development aspirations around this part of the A90 and their impact on the village.”
