Two bypass projects at Springholm and Crocketford in Dumfries and Galloway are making progress after Transport Scotland awarded £1.1 million to the schemes. The government body has committed the funding for a ground investigations work contract to Causeway Geotech Ltd to support the ongoing design and assessment work for the A75 improvements, says DnG24.
Work is expected to start this month and will last for approximately eight weeks. The escalation of the project has been welcomed by the region’s MSPs, with Emma Harper commenting:
“I’m delighted that another milestone of progress on the Crocketford and Springholm bypasses has been reached.
“These upgrades will mean residents will no longer have trunk road traffic going through their villages and on their doorsteps – a gamechanger for the quality of life in Crocketford and Springholm – and will mean a modern, well-graded road can provide improvements in journey times on a key travel route in Dumfries and Galloway.”
Meanwhile, Galloway and West MSP Finlay Carson sought clarity from Ministers on the financial direction of the parliament last Thursday, when he said:
“Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm in unequivocal terms whether full dualling of the bypass remains a funded and actively supported option for the government?
“Will she set out precisely what formal engagement her government has had with the UK Government regarding the budgeting, cost sharing and assessment of the dualling option, so that we can understand whether the necessary financial structures are in place?”
Responding, Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, confirmed a specific reference to improvements on the A75 and A77, including the bypasses at Springholm and Crocketford, while an outline business case would define it further.
She told MSPs:
“I am pleased Finlay Carson has welcomed the £1.1 million for the ground investigation works contract and I can tell him that the design assessment work to consider options for realigning the trunk road, with bypasses at those villages, is well underway and proceeding at pace.
“We welcome the announcement that the UK Government has committed funding for the remainder of the current study, as that will enable us to complete the initial work on considering improvements to the key route at Springholm and Crocketford to identify a preferred route option by early 2027.”
(Picture: Mapillary)
