• Overnight road closures begin 22 February for 6 nights

Motorists using the A68 are set to benefit from an improved road surface, with six nights of resurfacing works scheduled to begin on Monday 1 February.

The £600,000 project will see Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland resurface 1.35 km of carriageway at Soutra, approximately 3.5 miles north of Oxton, creating smoother and safer journeys for motorists.

To ensure the safety of roadworkers as well as the travelling public, the A68 will be closed between Ravenswood roundabout and the junction with the B6458 from 19:30 until 06:00 each night from Monday 22 February to Tuesday 2 March, excluding the nights of Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 February.

A diversion route will be signposted via the A6091, A7 and B6458, adding approximately 6 miles and 15 minutes to affected journeys.

Consultation has been carried out with emergency services and other relevant stakeholders to make them aware of the plans and share information about the project in advance.

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

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

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South East Network Manager, said: “These surfacing improvements will help to address the defects on this section of the A68 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