Work is continuing on the £500 million M8/M73/M74 Motorway Improvements Project.

Main contractor Scottish Roads Partnership is working alongside Ferrovial Lagan Joint Venture and Amey to complete the scheme by 2017.

With over 90% of the projects waste having been recycled, the major infrastructure development has become one of the largest recycling schemes in the country.

Over one million of unsuitable earth material has been treated with lime and used for the construction of engineering fills and embankments, while four demolished road bridges have had their waste material crushed to produce aggregates to be re-used for construction of the new roads.

Other key features include:

• A 2.3km-long concrete barrier between Eurocentral and Chapelhall on the A8 is being crushed to produce more than 5,000 tonnes of capping material for access lanes.

-- Advertisement --

• More than 20,000 tonnes of material have been taken off the site and delivered to leading Scottish recycling companies.

• 180,000 square metres of tar from old roads have been lifted, processed and crushed so that it can be incorporated in the new roads being built.

• Up to 5km of old cast iron pipes have already been dug up and sent to recycling centres to be turned into new steel products.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Job & Fair Work Keith Brown, welcomed the contractor's efforts to deliver the project in a sustainable way.

"The Scottish Government is committed to a Greener Scotland – from more sustainable projects through to improving our natural and built environment," he said.

"We are committed to sustainable economic growth in Scotland and the project's economic and urban regeneration benefits upon completion are clear - but it's also important that during delivery of this infrastructure project all of the activities on site are as sustainable as possible."

Alfredo Sobrino, Construction Manager on the scheme, added: "The treatment of around one million tonnes of soil with lime have avoided the removal and disposal of the material off site and the import of the same quantity of material which would have required in excess of 200,000 lorry hours on the road.

"Processing and crushing the old tar to produce aggregates minimises the use of quarry material, again saving over 20,000 lorry hours.

"Minimising the amount of lorry hours cuts CO2 emissions and also avoids further impact on the road network."

Once completed, the M8/M73/M74 Motorway Improvements Project will reduce congestion and improve journey times across the Central Scotland motorway network.

(LM/MH)