BEAR Scotland has delivered over £20 million worth of improvement and maintenance works across the South East trunk road network in the third quarter of 2023 on behalf of Transport Scotland.

Resurfacing projects worth a total of £6.4 million have improved surface quality and overall safety for motorists at locations throughout the network.

This included motorway improvements, with various sections of the M8 and M9 being upgraded, as well as resurfacing schemes on other trunk roads including the A1, A68, A7, A702, A720 and A985.

Our programme of road marking upgrade and road stud replacement on the A7 continued through September. Existing markings were largely replaced with Weatherline Plus material, which has a dotted profile marking which provides enhanced visibility, and existing and missing studs were renewed.

Work has been under way since June on a programme to enable the installation of new automated vehicle restraint barriers to the north and south of the Queensferry Crossing. This new system will enable rapid diversion of traffic onto Forth Road Bridge in the event of an emergency closure of the Queensferry Crossing. All foundations, drainage and cable ducting works have been completed, with the next phase of the project to install the barriers themselves now in progress.

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The project to replace the Southern Piled Viaduct (SPV) on the Kincardine Bridge is progressing well, with construction largely complete on the temporary bridge that will carry traffic during the demolition and reconstruction of the viaduct.

Maintenance and refurbishment works have continued on the Forth Road Bridge, including the ongoing projects to replace the lateral thrust bearings and the elastomeric bearings that support the end of the carriageway deck stringers at the side towers, as well as the refurbishment of the main tower cross girder box sections.

On the South East network's bridges, work was completed on the major refurbishment of the bridge that carries the eastbound slip road off the M8 at junction 3, with the slip road reopening on Friday 28 July as programmed.

Scour remedial works to protect the south embankment of the bridge over the River Forth on the M9 near Junction 10 began in August and were substantially compete by the end of September.

Andy Thompson, BEAR Scotland Operating Company Representative for the South East said: "This quarter has seen us continue the delivery of an ambitious programme of improvements across South East Scotland's trunk road network. We look forward to delivering further improvements over the months ahead."