A section of the A96 in Keith is set to benefit from surfacing improvements worth £375,000 with work set to get underway from Friday
The improvements will address defects in the road surface on the A96 in Keith between Tesco supermarket and the bridge over the River Isla creating a safer and smoother road surface for motorists.
The project is scheduled to start on Friday 26 March and will take place over seven nights between 7.30pm and 6.30am each night. Surfacing improvements are expected to be completed by 6.30am on Friday 2 April, subject to weather conditions.
To ensure the safety of roadworkers and motorists, a 10mph convoy system will be in place during working hours. The convoy system will be removed during the daytime however due to the nature of the works temporary traffic lights will remain in place. Throughout the project various junctions within the scheme extents will have to be closed to allow teams to safely surface past these junctions. Signed diversion routes will be in place as required for motorists.
Consultation has taken place with all relevant stakeholders in advance of the resurfacing improvements to make them aware of the traffic management arrangements and to minimise any inconvenience.
Strict physical distancing protocols, in line with Scottish Government Covid-19 guidance, will be in place to ensure all site personnel remain safe once the project gets underway. New safe operation procedures and risk assessments have also been developed to ensure teams are kept safe throughout the project.
Commenting on the improvements, Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North East Representative, said: “This £375,000 investment from Transport Scotland will greatly improve and strengthen this section of the A96, as well as create a smoother and safer journey for motorists.
“We’ve taken steps to minimise disruption for motorists as much as possible during the improvements, including carrying out the works overnight and removing all traffic management during the daytime to further limit any impact to motorists.
“We thank motorists for their patience in advance while our teams carry out these essential improvements on the A96. We encourage road users to plan their journeys in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up to date traffic information and allow some extra time to reach their destination.”
Real-time journey planning information can be obtained by visiting www.trafficscotland.org, twitter at @trafficscotland or via the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org.
Materials removed from the existing carriageway will be recycled adopting Scottish Environment Project Agency (SEPA) approved construction methods and disposal of waste materials to the approved standards.