I thank the committee for the chance to give it an update on the major transport projects portfolio.
It has been a busy time for those projects, including the Queensferry crossing, in recent months, with significant works undertaken in all the projects. As you have heard, the Queensferry crossing is on schedule to open in May 2017, the usual caveat having been given about weather. Significant milestones have already been reached, including the closure of the south and north decks in October and November respectively. Construction of the north and south approach roads is nearing completion, and the centre tower deck fan was recognised as the longest free-standing balanced cantilever structure in the world by Guinness World Records. That record lasted for a few days—the bridge lost that accolade after it was connected up.
I will update the committee with more detail on the other major transport projects that are under way. Design work is well under way on the 11 road schemes that make up the 80 miles of the A9 dualling project, which is one of the biggest transport infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history. We have already invested more than £89.4 million in a £3 billion programme of work; £3 billion is the figure that we have used, although as the project comprises 11 different schemes that can only be an estimate at this stage. It is important that I get that on the record. That is what we anticipate will be the ballpark figure for the cost of the project. Work has taken place since the announcement of the project in December 2011, including recent ground investigation work, which is critical in helping to inform the design process.
Residents of the villages of Kindallachan, Guay and Dowally have been campaigning against the proposed options for dualling, on the grounds that it will have negative impacts on the villages and on their properties. Online and offline options have been thoroughly considered and strong public opinion has been expressed about both. The preferred route was made public this week—the online option was chosen—and Transport Scotland has written to the online and offline campaign groups to inform them of the decision and has published the assessment reports online. Residents in Dunkeld are currently in discussion with Transport Scotland about a co-creative process to capture community input in the route options assessment.
Construction is also well under way on the £35 million A9 dualling Kincraig to Dalraddy project, which is on schedule to open in summer 2017. Traffic is already using the southbound carriageway and work is under way to upgrade the existing road.
The dualling of the A96 between Scotland’s most northern cities is a significant undertaking that requires careful in-depth planning and design to ensure that we deliver the right scheme—one that helps to tackle congestion while providing better journey time reliability and road safety for all. The dualling will help to tackle congestion in towns along the route, reduce journey times, improve journey time reliability and improve road safety for all users. I am sure that the committee is aware of the particular challenge on the existing route, which is the different categories of traffic that use the route and the conflicts that arise.
The packages of preliminary engineering and strategic environmental assessment work that we have completed are the first step in developing a robust plan to improve connectivity between Inverness and Aberdeen and demonstrate our commitment to investing in that strategically important route. In May 2015, the outcome of the preliminary work was presented to more than 2,000 members of the public at a series of exhibitions along the A96 corridor between Forres and Aberdeen. The next design phase—east of Nairn to Aberdeen—is split into three sections: the western, central and eastern sections. More detailed route options assessment work is now under way on the western section between Hardmuir and east of Fochabers.
Transport Scotland has also completed the development and assessment of the preferred option for the 31km A96 dualling Inverness to Nairn project, including the Nairn bypass section. On 29 November, it published draft orders on the scheme for formal comment. The objection period runs for nine weeks—it was extended from six weeks to account for the festive holidays, and ends on 31 January. Further progress on the scheme will depend on the level and nature of comments—and objections, if any are received—on the draft orders.
The contract for the M8/M73/M74 motorway improvements projects was awarded to the Scottish Roads Partnership on 20 February 2014 and the main contract works commenced immediately thereafter. The new and improved roads are scheduled to open during spring 2017. As we move into the final stages of that project, the focus is shifting to completing structures, particularly the Raith underpass. It is necessary to connect the new offline infrastructure, which is now complete, with the existing online route network. Although a significant amount of traffic management has already been implemented across the project, more is planned, and there will inevitably be some delay and disruption, as there has been already, as the project progresses to completion.
I have heard some of the comments of committee members in relation to the committee’s visit to the Queensferry crossing. The M8 bundle is equally impressive. I have not discussed this with officials, but if the committee wanted one, I am sure that a visit could be arranged. I am going up in a plane on Friday to have an aerial look at the project. It is a light plane—there is not a lot of expense involved—and we will post the pictures that will be taken from the plane.
There is a huge amount of interest in the project. It is an extremely impressive project that includes the achievement that, for the first time, the main road between Edinburgh and Glasgow will be motorway for its entire length. There will also be a completely new Raith junction. It is entirely up to the committee if it wishes to take up my offer.
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We are continuing to progress with the design and development of a number of schemes including the A90/A937 Laurencekirk junction improvement, in which I know Mr Rumbles has a particular interest. I am happy to answer questions on that. There is also the A90/A96 Haudagain junction improvement.
Following completion of the statutory process for the A737 Dalry bypass, in July four bidders were invited to participate in the competition for the main works. Work is scheduled to commence before the end of the delivery 2016-17 financial year .
The Aberdeen western peripheral route/Balmedie to Tipperty project is the largest road project in the UK currently. It has been more than 50 years in coming; we actually started work on the route almost exactly two years ago, on 12 December 2014. Good progress has been made during 2016 on the 58km site as a whole. Phase 1 of the project, at Aberdeen airport, opened in August this year, ahead of the contractor’s planned autumn target, and is already bringing benefits to the local area.
As I am sure a number of members will be aware, road users are seeing a lot of activity on existing trunk roads, particularly on the A90, where new traffic management measures have recently been put in place at Charlestown. I visited the site at the end of last month, and was generally pleased to see good progress being made, with sections of the new road already having been laid.
The majority of the project’s earthworks have been completed, with the exception of some key local sections, particularly on the Balmedie to Tipperty section. As I indicated in my letter to the committee, some issues have arisen with the delivery of the Balmedie to Tipperty section of the project. I will say a bit more about that.
Following the positive Supreme Court ruling in October 2012, the Scottish Government indicated an outline programme for the whole project to be delivered in spring 2018. The main project contractor, Aberdeen Roads Ltd, subsequently proposed opening the Balmedie to Tipperty section in spring 2017. It also proposed opening the Craibstone junction in autumn 2016; as I have said, that was completed ahead of schedule.
We consider that the proposal for Balmedie to Tipperty was challenging but achievable, and it would obviously have been welcome if it had been realised. However, last month, the contractor confirmed to Transport Scotland that it was no longer planning or able to open the Balmedie to Tipperty section in spring 2017. The timescale is no longer considered viable because the contractor has not completed key earthworks in the area whose completion was expected prior to the current winter period. Committee members will appreciate that certain construction processes are sequential, as you will have heard in relation to the Queensferry crossing, and that various critical works—such as drainage works, road foundation works and the realignment of some local roads—are dependent on the completion of earthworks before they can be undertaken.
The intended completion of certain key earthworks on the Balmedie to Tipperty section after winter has a consequential impact on the overall programme for that section. Committee members will appreciate that undertaking earthworks during the winter period can give rise to certain risks, including, in particular, environmental risks around the control of run-off from the site and risks to weather-susceptible materials. Indeed, as the committee will recall, members raised a number of concerns last year about some of the contractor’s activities during the winter period. Those concerns were primarily about water run-off from the site and the impact on water quality and local watercourses.
It is worth highlighting that, following the concerns that were raised by committee members—including you, convener—the contractor undertook positive mitigation work with other key agencies throughout 2016. That included the introduction of temporary measures such as the use of water treatment apparatus and ponds.
In order to mitigate the effects of winter working this year, the contractor plans to keep earthworks to a minimum. The contractor had been undertaking extensive earthworks across the site into October this year, but that was scaled back with the onset of the winter season.
As part of the Scottish Government’s continuing scrutiny of the AWPR/Balmedie to Tipperty project, I have put in place detailed governance arrangements, which are overseen at the top level by a project board involving Transport Scotland, the Scottish Futures Trust and the funding partners at Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.
On a day-to-day level, Transport Scotland closely monitors the project through a set of well-established and robust project management procedures that have stood the test of time. They include regular attendance on site by Transport Scotland officials and detailed reporting from the contractor to Transport Scotland’s project technical advisers and on-site representatives.
Since I received the Balmedie to Tipperty notification in November, my officials and their technical advisers have interrogated the contractor’s explanation of its position, taking into account its working methods and stated assessment of the current position, particularly in respect of earthworks. My officials and their advisers have confirmed that, in the circumstances, they concur with the view that the works on that section will not be complete by spring 2017.
I highlight for the committee’s benefit that the project contractor does not receive payments for sections of the project until they are available and open to traffic. However, throughout 2017, road users will start to see the benefits of the project in addition to those at the Craibstone junction, as new local roads and slip roads begin to open to traffic.
As with all major projects, I will continue to monitor and scrutinise the project closely. I remain firmly committed its delivery, with all the benefits that that will bring. Notwithstanding the developments in relation to the Balmedie to Tipperty section, I expect the contractor—an international consortium of construction companies with a great deal of experience—to deliver the project in winter 2017-18.
As committee members will appreciate, weather can be a factor that influences the programme for major civil engineering projects such as the AWPR. It is therefore difficult to give very specific dates. That being the case, I clarify that the roads are scheduled to open to traffic in winter 2017-18, when we will see the AWPR/Balmedie to Tipperty project provide significant benefits to the people of the north-east.
Again, I thank the committee for the opportunity to provide today’s update. I will answer any questions that members may have.