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Green light for A80
Page 9
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A £200M UPGRADE of one of Scotland's most congested roads has been given the go-ahead by ministers.
An 11-mile stretch of the A80 in central Scotland, from Stepps to Haggs, will be turned into a motorway, with work expected to start in two years' time.
However, by the time construction starts it will be six years since consultation on the project began.
lain Mitchell, managing director at John Mitchell Haulage in Grangemouth, says the road is frequently congested at peak periods: "It's crazy. They've got the M8, M73, M876 and M9 all connecting on to the A80 and it's just a bottleneck."
Gavin Scott, FTA head of policy for Scotland, says the A80 is a major trade route: "It is imperative that work proceeds without any further delay to deliver these essential improvements by the new completion date of 2011."
• Work has started on a El 75m project to close the gap in the motorway network between England and Scotland. The scheme will upgrade the A74 between Carlisle and Guards Mill to motorway status.