• Five overnight road closures

Motorists using the A7 in the Scottish Borders are advised to plan ahead to avoid overnight road closures, with essential resurfacing works scheduled to begin on the evening of Monday 10 May on the A7 in Selkirk, on Hillside Terrace between Selkirk High School and Tower Street.

The works will see Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland resurface 410m of carriageway, creating smoother and safer journeys for motorists.

To allow these works to be completed safely and efficiently, the A7 at Selkirk will be closed in both directions from 19:30 until 06:00 each night from Monday 10 May to Friday 14 May. On-street parking will be suspended at all times between these dates.

A diversion route will be signposted between Kingsknowes Roundabout and the A7 south of Selkirk via the A6091, A68, and A699, adding an estimated 11 minutes and 9.6 miles to journeys. The A7 will remain open in both directions outwith these closures.

Emergency services will be given access through the works at all times and local access for residents within the closure points will be maintained when it is safe to pass through the work area.

Strict physical distancing protocols are in place to protect teams and ensure they remain safe on site, in line with Scottish Government guidance.

Emergency services and other relevant stakeholders have been consulted in advance to make them aware of the plans.

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South East Network Manager, said: “These surfacing improvements will help to address the defects on this section of the A7 and will greatly improve the experience for motorists.

“It is essential that we close the road during these works to ensure the safety of road workers and motorists, however we’ve arranged for the project to take place overnight to minimise the impact.

“We thank motorists and the local community in advance for their patience and understanding. We’ll do all we can to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or the mobile site my.trafficscotland.org