Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson today announced a multi-million pound boost for Scotland's construction industry with the appointment of a contractor for the M80 Stepps to Haggs project.

The national transport agency Transport Scotland has signed the contract that awards Highway Management (Scotland) Ltd the £320m project to construct a new 11 mile (18 km) stretch of the A80 between Stepps and Haggs. This will also include costs for maintenance of the road for 30 years.

The project is a welcome boost for Scotland's construction industry as it will deliver more than 500 jobs over the two-year construction period.

Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "This project is another example of how our continuing investment is helping the hard pressed construction sector now, creating hundreds of construction jobs.

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"The A80 is an essential part of the trunk road network in central Scotland and one of the most heavily used. This project will complete the missing gap between Stirling and Glasgow bringing real benefits to the surrounding communities and across the central belt as a whole."

Construction works for this particular scheme will include: almost 5 miles (8 km) of new dual two-lane motorway and hard shoulders between Stepps and Mollinsburn, 1.6 miles (2.7 km) of the existing A80 road upgraded to dual three-lane motorway between Mollinsburn and Auchenkilns; and almost 4.5 miles ( 7.3km) of the existing A80 upgraded to dual two-lane motorway between Auchenkilns to Haggs with hard shoulders and climbing lanes.

Martin Pugh, Managing Director, Bilfinger Berger Project Investments said: "Tremendous effort has been demonstrated by all those involved to achieve financial close in challenging times and this is something we can all be proud of. I would like to thank the team for their tenacity and hard work. We are looking forward to working further with Transport Scotland in the coming years."

Early preparatory works have already started along the route and construction will begin immediately for the motorway to be fully opened in 2011.

(GK/JM)