This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New stretch of A1 dual carriageway
13/11/2002
A further 1.9km of new dual carriageway on the A1 between Bowerhouse and Spott near Dunbar, East Lothian, was opened six weeks ahead of schedule today.
Deputy Transport Minister Lewis Macdonald said:
"This £5.5 million investment represents an important step in taking forward the four major construction schemes identified by the Scottish Executive for this route.
"Earlier this year, as part of the Haddington to Dunbar Expressway and the Howburn to Houndwood development, I announced the start of a significant upgrading to dual carriageway. This further upgrade has been completed at an unprecedented speed and will help to fill the dual carriageway gap between Edinburgh and Dunbar by connecting East Lothian to the wider central Scotland motorway and expressway network. We are committed to delivering a road network fit for the 21 st century economy which provides an efficient and safe transport system, meeting the needs of all in society.
"I am pleased to say that in planning the new line of the road, great care was taken to avoid known significant archaeological sites. Near Eweford Cottages, the dual carriageway had to be carefully threaded between two scheduled ancient monuments. Also the start of the road contract also led to the discovery of one of the most exciting new sites of the earliest farming communities in southern Scotland."
The Bowerhouse to Spott scheme was announced as part of £680 million package of improvements to Scottish roads in March 2001.
Associated side roads and an underpass will be incorporated in the new road, part of which will be built along the line of the existing single carriageway trunk road.
The underpass will facilitate vehicular access for the local farmer who has land on both sides of the new road. The underpass will also allow pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists to cross the line of the new road.
The contract, awarded to Morrison Construction Limited, started on site on April 15 this year and was originally due to be open to traffic on December 24, 2002, with landscaping work programmed for completion by end of January 2003.