A series of overnight closures have been planned as work on the Forth Replacement Crossing project progresses, Transport Scotland has said.

The closures will start later this month, for drivers using the A90, M9 Spur and B800 to the south of the Forth Road Bridge.

To allow for the safe installation of the new B800 overbridge and ITS driver information gantries, two separate phases of restrictions are required.

The initial phase of works will see a limited section of the B800 to the south east of South Queensferry fully closed from 8pm to 6am each night, from Tuesday 28 October to Thursday 30 October inclusive. This will allow the contractors – Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) – to install the bridge beams. Local diversions will be in place for motorists.

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Outside of these closures, temporary traffic lights will be in operation on the B800 in the area of the bridge. Final preparation works and crane set-up/de-rigging will commence on Friday 24 October to Saturday 1 November.

From Sunday 2 November until Tuesday 4 November, the A90, south of Echline Junction and west of B924 Dalmeny Junction, as well as the M9 Spur, will fully close from 8pm to 6am each night. This is to allow FCBC to install the new bridge beams and erection of gantries. Diversions will again be in place.

Steven Brown, Transport Scotland's FRC Roads and Infrastructure Manager, said: "The construction of new roads and the upgrade of existing infrastructure as part of the FRC project has been carefully designed by our contractor FCBC to minimise disruption as far as possible.

"These restrictions are required to allow installation of beams for a major new B800 bridge and ITS gantries which will bring benefits to road users when the project is open at the end of 2016.

"To ensure the safest and most efficient installation, the carriageways underneath must be closed to normal traffic. However, this work is timed at night to keep disruption to journeys to the absolute minimum."

(JP/IT)