This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
M74 link gets go ahead
24/03/2005
Ministers will proceed with the M74 completion project,
MSPs were told today.
A decision to give the go-ahead for the scheme was
reached following the Public Local Inquiry which ended last
year.
The new link connecting the existing motorway to south
of Kingston Bridge will bring significant economic benefits
to the west of Scotland, Transport Minister Nicol Stephen
said.
These include supporting local regeneration, improving
quality of life for local communities, reducing congestion,
and improving the local environment.
Mr Stephen continued:
"This is an important transport project and will bring
much needed economic, social and safety benefits. It will
improve the quality of life for local communities. It will
reduce congestion on the M8 and local roads. It is also
expected to reduce road injury accidents by up to 50 a year
by removing traffic from local roads.
"This project will help create around 20,000 jobs in the
Glasgow and Clyde Valley area. By supporting regeneration
projects derelict and contaminated land will be redeveloped
for housing, industrial development and leisure."
The Public Local Inquiry Reporter recommended that the
project should not proceed. However, Ministers concluded
that the Reporter had not given enough weight to the
positive aspects of the scheme as presented in evidence at
the inquiry.
"This project is a key element in completing the central
Scotland motorway network. We believe that the benefits of
this project outweigh the disadvantages and that it is in
the public interest to proceed. This project is good news
fro business and local communities"
The decision to go ahead was taken by the Transport
Minister on behalf of Scottish Ministers and the
announcement was made in an answer to a Parliamentary
Question from MSP Janis Hughes today.
The Public Local Inquiry into the construction of the
M74 in Glasgow ran from December 1, 2003, to March 3, 2004.
The proceedings were conducted before Richard Hickman and
Donald Watt of the Inquiry Reporters Unit. The final report
was completed by Richard Hickman.
The estimated cost of the M74 project at completion
(outturn prices) is between £375 million and £500 million.
This includes inflation to 2008 prices.