Borders Railway has said there will be some restrictions enforced on the A7 trunk road to allow essential work to be carried out.

Weekend and overnight closures will also be required as work is undertaken on two key bridges along the Borders Rail route.

The first phase of works will be at Gore Glen, where a new railway bridge is being constructed over the A7 trunk road. The work involves 15 large pre-cast beams being lifted into place to form the base of the new track over the bridge. The work will be carried out from 8pm on Friday 8 November to 8am on Sunday 10 November. A road closure will be in place.

In addition, an allowance has also been made for a subsequent closure from 2pm on Sunday 10 November to 6am on Monday 11 November, with a diversion in place on the B704 between Gorebridge and Powdermill Brae.

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There will also be a further closure on this stretch of road on Saturday 16 November between 7am and 5pm. The same diversion route will be in place.

Later this month, work will also be carried out to ensure that the Lothianbridge Viaduct is safe for use for future rail passengers. As a result, from Monday 18 to Monday 25 November, there will be traffic restrictions on the A7 under the viaduct. During the day, traffic will be managed by temporary traffic signals on manual control, while at night there will be a full closure with a diversion in place along Newtongrange High Street.

Following this, the team will move further along the bridge, which necessitates the full closure of Carrington Road at the viaduct for five days, and will commence on Monday 26 November.

Hugh Wark, Project Director, Network Rail Scotland said: "Once complete, these works will link the north section of the Borders route to the rest of the line. They mark a clear milestone in the construction of the Borders Railway which, once it opens in 2015, will be enjoyed by passengers for years to come."

(JP/IT)