The preferred bidder for the Aberdeen bypass project has been named.

Initially, Scottish Ministers first approved the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR) scheme in 2009, but work had been delayed due to legal action.

The £745m project – which includes the bypass, plus making the Balmedie to Tipperty section of the A90 a dual carriageway – will be carried out by Connect Roads, a consortium of Balfour Beatty, Galliford Try (Morrison Construction) and Carillion.

Advance works on the project are already underway and are being delivered by local firms. Work on the bypass is still scheduled to be completed by Spring 2018.

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Commenting on the announcement, Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "Following the Supreme Court ruling, we said we would complete works on the AWPR scheme by spring 2018. The announcement today ensures we remain well on course, with the contract expected be awarded and construction starting in earnest before the year is out.

"This is great news for the people of Aberdeen and the north-east and underlines our commitment to reversing years of under investment which has led to the kinds of pressures we see on the road network in and around Aberdeen every day."

He added: "AWPR advance works are well underway with small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) from the north-east already benefiting – a contract worth nearly half a million pounds for the construction of a local connecting road here at Findon Junction is just one case in point."

(JP/IT)