Work has begun on a £40m package of works to create a new motorway junction to the M9 - allowing direct access from Winchburgh and outlying villages.
Scottish firm, RJ McLeod, has been appointed to carry out the motorway junction contract by Winchburgh Developments Ltd, which aims to improve links in West Lothian with Edinburgh, Glasgow, and further afield.
The M9 junction will be formed by constructing four new slip roads centred on the existing underpass below the motorway.
Served by a fully upgraded core road, it will connect Winchburgh’s town centre with the southern roundabout at the junction.
The contract also includes major upgrades to Beatlie Road.
Over the next 12 months, work will include completion of the main distributor road from the new school campus at Glendevon, a three-kilometre route to the new M9 junction at Duntarvie Castle, and a further junction upgrade on Kirkliston Road.
Other elements of the distributor road include new bridges spanning the Union Canal at the new Town Centre and the main Edinburgh/Glasgow Rail Line.
The target date for the combined motorway junction and distributor road works is Spring 2023.
It’s estimated the infrastructure and landscaping works will cost the developers around £40m.
The new junction will unlock the final delivery of the ‘Winchburgh masterplan’ which, when complete, will see at least 3800 new homes, improved transport links, and a minimum of 40-acres of employment land created.
John Hamilton, chief executive of Winchburgh Developments Ltd, said: “The new junction has been a core element of the Winchburgh masterplan since its inception and it is great to see that work has now started.
“Historically, transport connectivity has been heavily constrained by a motorway network that completely bypassed the village.
“This development will be transformational by improving journey times to and from Edinburgh and the Lothians for residents, businesses and visitors.
“The £40 million we’re investing on the new motorway junction and other roads infrastructure is a crucial element of the integrated transport strategy for completing the masterplan.”
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