A vital route into Stewarton, the B778 Holm Street, has reopened to traffic by Friday, 25 July 2025, over a month earlier than anticipated.

The road, which links the East Ayrshire town to the M77 and Glasgow, had been closed since the end of June to allow for the replacement and upgrade of a storm overflow as part of a major flood alleviation project.

Scottish Water's alliance partner, Caledonia Water Alliance, completed the work in half the projected time, significantly reducing disruption for the local community and road users.

Project Manager Ethan Gillies-Denning commented: “We knew when we first started planning delivery of the project this was going to be a phase with potentially the biggest impact on the community. We did everything possible to mitigate the disruption for customers, including timing the work to coincide with the school holidays and working extended hours and weekends.” He expressed delight at lifting the closure after less than four weeks and thanked residents for their support and patience.

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The Kirkford Bridge storm overflow project is part of a larger £16 million package of investments by Scottish Water in Stewarton, aimed at tackling sewer flooding under its Improving Urban Waters Programme. This local investment forms part of an additional £500 million investment across Scotland, focused on improving water quality through enhanced monitoring, reporting, and targeted infrastructure projects to reduce sewer-related debris and spills.

Working in close collaboration with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Water has identified priority storm overflows for improvement or replacement. Under the banner ‘Draining the Rain, Enhancing the Environment', over 70 such improvements are expected to be delivered by the end of 2027, with more in design for beyond this date, benefiting watercourses throughout Scotland.