Plan to reopen weather damaged A68 in 'early September'
A main road linking the Scottish Borders and Edinburgh is scheduled to reopen in September after severe weather caused a landslide.
A section of the A68, near the village of Fala, collapsed due to heavy rain earlier this month. Bear Scotland say they hope to repair the road for motorists as early as next month, but the schedule - which is divided into three phases - is weather dependent.
A spokesperson from construction company, that specialise in road maintenance, said: We now have a detailed programme for the remainder of these works. We’ve considered how to minimise the timescale for each step and are optimistic that we can reopen the A68 by early September, barring further severe weather or unforeseen issues.
“The repair is being carried out in three phases. We’ve already made good progress on the first phase stabilising the site, diverting utilities and putting down initial layers of stone. "
He continued: "In the second phase we will complete the 5,000 tonne rock infill to bring the collapsed embankment up to road level. The final phase is to complete the rebuild of the road itself, including reinstatement of the roadside barrier, drainage and lining.
“I’m grateful to road users and local communities for their patience while these works continue. Please rest assured we are doing everything in our power to get the A68 reopened as soon as possible and to minimise the disruption caused.”
A diversion is in place for motorists planning to travel on this route. Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org or twitter at @trafficscotland.