£320,000 SURFACING IMPROVEMENTS

 Works start Monday 6 September over one week

A section of the A96 near Huntly is to benefit from surfacing improvements worth £320,000 with work set to get underway from Monday 6 September.

The improvements will address defects across a 650m section of the A96 at Newtongarry, creating a safer and smoother road surface for motorists.

The project is scheduled to begin on Monday 6 September and will take place over one week with the majority of the work taking place across five nights between 7.30pm and 6.30am. Daytime works will also take place between 9.30am and 3.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday. All work is expected to be completed by 6.30am on Saturday 11 September, subject to weather conditions.

To ensure all roadworkers as well as motorists are kept safe throughout the project, a 10mph convoy system will be in place for safety during periods of overnight and daytime construction works. The convoy system will be removed outwith working hours however due to the nature of the works, temporary traffic lights will be in place for safety.

Consultation has taken place with all relevant stakeholders in advance of the surfacing improvements to make them aware of the traffic management arrangements.

Commenting on the improvements, Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland’s North East Representative, said: “This £320,000 investment from Transport Scotland will greatly improve and strengthen this section of the A96 near Huntly, as well as create a smoother and safer journey for motorists.

“The traffic management is essential for everyone’s safety however we’ve taken steps to minimise disruption for motorists as much as possible during the improvements, including carrying out the majority of the works overnight to 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 using SEPA approved methods.