£34 million funding boost for Scotland's trunk roads maintenance budget
The maintenance budget for Scotland's trunk roads is being handed a funding boost of more than £30 million.
The maintenance budget for Scotland's trunk roads is being handed a funding boost of more than £30 million.
Scottish Government officials said the budget is going up from £165 million in 2016/2017 to about £199 million in 2017/2018.
Safety work, inspections and bridge maintenance will be carried out, with additional repairs to road surfaces to address potholes and other defects also planned.
Transport Scotland is currently drawing up a programme to allow work to be carried out on all of the major road bridges.
Schemes include resurfacing and waterproofing on the Kincardine Bridge, refurbishment of spans on the Cromarty Bridge and cable inspections on the Forth Road Bridge.
The Scottish Government's total investment in motorways and trunk roads has risen from £830 million in 2016/2017 to £997 million.
Finance Secretary Derek Mackay said: "The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the trunk road network remains safe and efficient to support our economy.
"It supports jobs and will also improve the infrastructure of our public services for years to come." This additional investment in trunk-road maintenance helps us realise our strategic aims and brings economic benefits.
"The additional funding will allow Transport Scotland to go out and make the repairs that will not only improve conditions for road users but will also extend the life of our trunk roads.
"The work that I've seen on the M8 is a good example of the ongoing improvements that are carried out every day across the country.
"This is an exciting time for our transport infrastructure, with some of our major projects due to come online in the coming months, including the major upgrade of our central motorway network.''