A £10m transport hub at Halbeath, Fife, which is to support the New Forth Crossing, has reached a key milestone in its construction.

Robertson, the Infrastructure, Support Services and Construction Group have completed work on the car park and foundations and are about to begin building the hub facilities.

Work began on Halbeath Park and Choose last October and the site was opened by Scotland's Transport Minister Keith Brown and Fife Council's Spokesperson for Transport, Councillor Pat Callaghan.

Discussing the construction work, Derek Shewan, Construction Group Managing Director at Robertson, said: "So far, we have completed the underground drainage on site, constructed the access roads to road-base level, surfaced the car park and excavated the foundation for the facilities building.

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"I’m pleased with how rapidly construction has progressed since we first broke ground five months ago. The progress to date puts us in great shape to start the construction of the facilities, the completion of which is our next milestone."

The project is expected to be completed this winter, and when finished, Halbeath Park and Choose will provide opportunities for car sharing and parking for over 1,000 vehicles. It will have six bus stances, and all passing bus services will stop at the interchange.

There will also be dedicated bus lanes on the M90 to prioritise public transport between Halbeath and Edinburgh, making it an option for commuters into the city.

Three out of every four cars travelling through Fife for the Road Bridge will pass within a mile of Halbeath Park and Choose and the new hub will also house 24 charging points for electric cars.

Mr Shewan added: "This vital project will bring immediate benefits to local people, help to transform the area and offer commuters a more sustainable and cost effective travel option."

Transport Scotland is funding the new interchange, while Fife Council will be responsible for managing and maintaining the site.

(JP)