£35m road cleared to tackle bottleneck

Commuters using the notorious A8000 have suffered heavy traffic and severe delays for years.

The cash pledge means a new dual carriageway is expected to be open by 2008.

Announcing the funding, Transport Minister Nicol Stephen urged Edinburgh City Council and the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to build the link "as a matter of urgency". He said the cash showed the "strategic importance" which the Scottish Executive placed on the project.

There had been fears that the rising cost of the scheme would seriously delay or even scupper the dual carriageway plans.

The total cost of the project is now estimated at 35m.

The A8000 link connects the southern end of the bridge to the M9 spur at Kirkliston. The new link will be a two-lane, 3km motorway from Kirkliston to a new junction with the A90 near Dalmeny.

Work is set to start almost straight away with FETA’s board expected to approve the tender list for the main contract today.

The Executive has pledged around 24m for the project, although the exact amount will depend on FETA putting in place plans to tackle congestion on and around the bridge.

Mr Stephen said: "The A8000 is a vital link to the national transport network.

I want to see a commitment from both FETA and Edinburgh City Council that this project will now be delivered as a matter of urgency.

"It is vital to start construction quickly if we are to remove the current unacceptable delays."

Margaret Smith, the Lib Dem candidate for Edinburgh West, said that the project’s future would have been in serious doubt if the Executive had not stumped up the money.

She said the funding gap had appeared because revenue from the Forth Road Bridge tolls, which FETA had hoped would help pay for the A8000 upgrade, was having to be used for maintenance of the bridge instead.

"I’m absolutely delighted, after many years of trying to get progress, that we are now at the stage of getting movement. All being well, we should have the road opening in spring 2008."

Welcoming the funding announcement, Douglas Sinclair, chief executive of FETA, said: "This is excellent news for people who use the Forth Road Bridge and the A8000.

"This interchange is a key hub for businesses, commuters and visitors in the east of Scotland.

"We awarded a 6m contract yesterday to Forkers to advance the consolidation of mine workings under the A8000, so this announcement is very timely.

"It will enable the board to approve the tender list for the main contract at a committee meeting today. The board is absolutely committed to undertaking this work and seeing it completed as quickly as possible. The completion date is spring 2008."