This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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A1 expressway opened
14/04/2004
The A1 Expressway between Haddington and Dunbar was
opened today by the First Minister.
As well as boosting the economy, the £35 million, 13.7km
dual carriageway is expected to improve road safety.
Jack McConnell said that record investment in transport
would drive up Scotland's prosperity for years to come.
He said:
"Greater investment in new roads and railways is one of
the key decisions the Scottish government has taken to
change Scotland for the better. We want to get people to
work and goods to market more quickly. We want our economy
to benefit from a transport network that works for
business. We want to get Scotland moving to get Scotland
growing.
"The A1 is a vital artery for the Edinburgh and East
Lothian economies, and for Scotland as a whole. The opening
of the Expressway completes the dualling of the busiest
section in Scotland from Edinburgh to Dunbar, reducing
congestion and improving links between Scotland and
England.
"The benefits of improved transport links - like this
Expressway - will be felt for generations to come. It will
be felt by those travelling to work on buses and in their
cars on a daily basis and by our businesses as they grow
and flourish in the future."
The accident rate on the Haddington to Dunbar section of
the A1 is twice as high as rest of the road in Scotland.
Three of the five accidents involving deaths between 2001
and 2003 took place on this stretch. It is estimated that
the new Expressway will halve the number of casualties.
Speaking at the opening, Transport Minister Nicol
Stephen said:
"The opening of the Expressway is a major milestone in
our transport improvements. We are putting right years of
neglect in Scotland's transport system and investment for
better public transport and roads by the Executive will be
over £1 billion every year by 2006.
"The A1 between Haddington and Dunbar has an appalling
record for accidents. The improvements that have already
been made on other sections of the A1 have more than halved
the number of accidents involving death and serious injury.
The new Expressway will have a similar positive impact on
the busiest stretch in Scotland."
Work started on the Expressway in June 2002 and was
completed in under 100 weeks. Construction included the
217m long bridge over the River Tyne at East Linton.
Great care has been taken to protect the surrounding
countryside and wildlife habitats. A continuous shared
pedestrian/cycle way along the length of the existing A1
and a crossing below the new dual carriageway at Biel Mill
Road has also been created.
The remaining length of the A1 to be upgraded under
current plans is the one kilometre section which will
complete the gap between the Haddington - Dunbar Expressway
and the Bowerhouse - Spott Dualling. Bids are now being
sought from Contractors. Once it is completed, two thirds
of the A1 in Scotland will have been improved with dual
carriageways or climbing lanes at a total cost of around
£120 million.
The completion of the Expressway forms part of a package
of upgrades to dual the A1. These include:
• The 3km section from Spott Wood to Oswald Dean which
was completed in 1999 at a cost of £4.5 million.
• The 2km stretch from Bowerhouse to Spott Road which
was opened in 2002 at a cost of £5.5 million.
• The 2km between Howburn to Houndwood which was
completed in July 2003 at a cost of £5.35 million.
The scheme runs east from the end of an existing dual
carriageway at Haddington East to a new roundabout at
Thistly Cross west of Dunbar. Now two thirds of the route
in Scotland has been upgraded to provide a series of
unambiguous guaranteed overtaking opportunities.
The section of the A1 between Haddington and Dunbar
carries nearly 4.5 million trips a year. The annual average
daily flow is 12,220 vehicles. 18 per cent of these
vehicles are heavy goods vehicles.
Work on the A1 between Edinburgh and the Border since
1990 has reduced the accident rate by over one third. Those
involving death and serious injury have more than halved.
This improvement has not been seen on the Haddington to
Dunbar section which, although it amounts to 20 per cent of
the length in Scotland, has had 35 per cent of the
accidents.
Draft Orders for the Haddington to Dunbar scheme were
first published in 1994. Following a public exhibition and
subsequent design review, a second set of draft Orders and
accompanying draft Compulsory Draft Order was published in
1996. A public local inquiry was held in 1997. Following
the Strategic Roads Review (SRR), the scheme was given the
go ahead by the Scottish Executive in November 1999. This
is the second of five SRR projects to be completed. Nicol
Stephen officially opened the Arisaig to Kinsdel section of
the A830 ('The Road to the Isles') in March 2004. The
Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston Bypass on the A78
should be completed in summer 2005. The M77 Extension
should be completed in 2005/06. A Public Local Inquiry was
held into the Fochabers and Mosstodloch Bypass in autumn
2003 and the report is waited.
During the construction of the Expressway, over 450,000
native trees and shrubs were planted to integrate the road
into the landscape.