A75 - Key bridge lift completed on £17.1m road scheme

Eight 40m long beams were assembled in pairs before a 1000 tonne mobile crane, one of the largest available in the UK, lifted the units into position.

Speaking after the lift, Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“A high quality transport system is vital to the economic prosperity not just for businesses and communities along the length of this road, but for Scotland as a whole. The £17.1 million Dunragit bypass scheme continues our investment in improving connectivity through the south of Scotland, including to and from the Loch Ryan ferry ports, providing a boost for business, leisure and the tourism industries.

“Combining the Dunragit works with other schemes currently underway on the A75 and A77 is providing some £36.7 million worth of investment on these key routes, further enhancing connectivity to our key ports as well as improve safety and journey time reliability.

“And of course the construction work itself is directly supporting employment opportunities in both the construction industry and locally which is vital in supporting Scotland’s economic prosperity.”

The contractor, RJ McLeod working in partnership with Network Rail planned the bridge lift to avoid disruption to railway passengers.

Work will now get underway on completing the bridge deck.

On completion next year the Dunragit bypass will provide guaranteed overtaking opportunities in both east and westbound directions, removing traffic from Dunragit village, avoid height restrictions at the Challoch railway bridge; and provide better facilities for the needs of cyclists and pedestrians.

The A77 Symington and Bogend Toll scheme has a construction cost of £10.6m. On completion it will improve safety on the A77 by closing the central reservations between Spittalhill Interchange and Dutch House roundabout and providing two grade separated junctions, which will reduce the number and severity of accidents and benefit the local economy by providing for safer access to and from the A77.

The A75 Hardgrove to Kinmount Improvement scheme has a construction cost of £9m. It will deliver 3.6km of new road with overtaking facilities in both directions. On completion, the scheme will benefit users by improving the journey time reliability and safety on this stretch of road, improve and increase the number of overtaking opportunities and cater better for the needs of cyclists and pedestrians.

Images of the lift are available on request