Access to the proposed new Dumfries and Galloway District General Hospital is being made easier with the completion of roundabout upgrades on the A75.
Good access for local communities to the new hospital facilities in Dumfries and Galloway will be an essential part of the new health complex
Finished by contractor, Balfour Beatty, seven weeks ahead of schedule, the upgrade of the Garroch roundabout is a key milestone that will enable construction of the new £230m hospital to begin.
Balfour Beatty was responsible for the £1.2m project to reconfigure the roundabout, which is required to ensure traffic in and out of the new 350-bed hospital complex is effectively managed, while avoiding congestion along this key route.
The works included increasing the size of the existing four-leg roundabout, relocating one leg of the roundabout to accommodate access to the new hospital and the existing side road, realigning the remaining approach roads, and other works associated with a trunk road scheme.
Transport Minister, Keith Brown, welcomed the news that the contract was completed seven weeks ahead of schedule and on budget.
He said: “Good access for local communities to the new hospital facilities in Dumfries and Galloway will be an essential part of the new health complex. It is important that traffic visiting the new infirmary, where construction starts next year, is managed well and the upgraded roundabout at Garroch will ensure better managed traffic in and out of the new infirmary.”
Dennis O’Keeffe, project director for the new hospital in NHS Dumfries and Galloway, added: “We are delighted that the works have been completed ahead of programme with minimal disruption to the travelling public and local community. Balfour Beatty has effectively planned, communicated and implemented traffic arrangements and its approach to the delivery of this complicated contract has been exemplary. We can now concentrate our efforts on the reprovision of the hospital, with construction works due to start in spring 2015.”
We can now concentrate our efforts on the reprovision of the hospital, with construction works due to start in spring 2015
And Hector MacAulay, Balfour Beatty delivery unit managing director, said: “The focus of Transport Scotland, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and our project team was always to undertake the reconfiguration of the Garroch roundabout, which is on the strategic trunk route through the region, with minimal disruption.
“By working together, carrying out as much work as possible offline during the day and works within the traffic management at night, we were able to successfully complete the upgrade almost two months early.”
