Aberdeen Bypass to finish early

The Aberdeen Bypass will be completed ahead of schedule in winter 2017, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Keith Brown has announced.

It has also been confirmed that the main construction work has moved a step closer with a letter confirming the intention to award the contract to Connect Roads.

According to Transport Scotland, this is a significant statement signifying the final phase in the procurement process and means that subject to a mandatory standstill period the project will be awarded in the coming weeks. Main contract works will then begin immediately.

Keith Brown said: “This is unprecedented. Since overcoming all the legal challenges back in October 2012, we have done all we can to accelerate the procurement and construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie-Tipperty (AWPR/B-T).

“Following the shortest procurement processes for a contract of this size and complexity- it has been just 23 months since the contract was put to the market - we have now been able to also bring the completion date forward to winter 2017.

“Our investment in this project is expected to bring in an additional £6 billion to the north-east economy and create around 14,000 jobs over the next 30 years, including more than 1,000 jobs for the construction industry. There will also be tangible benefits for the business community and road users with better journey time reliability and reduced congestion.”