Bear Scotland has confirmed that construction work is continuing on the section of the A68 trunk road that was destroyed in a storm on 12 August.
With the collapsed embankment now rebuilt close to road level, today work will begin on the installation of kerbing and ducts for utility services, work on the footpath and clearing existing surfacing from the road.
BEAR Scotland’s engineers are confident that repairs can be completed and the road reopened early next week, weather permitting.
What happened
A severe weather incident in the early hours of Wednesday 12 August 2020, on the A68 /B6367 from Pathhead to the B6458 at Fala Dam, resulted in damage to the carriageway as the 20-metre-deep embankment below it failed. As a result, a full closure of the A68 is in place, with a signed diversion route in operation.
Initial progress included clearing and stabilising the site and securing 5,000 tonnes of stone to rebuild the embankment. Utility companies then completed works to relocate services, allowing phase two of the rockfill to continue.
The embankment has now been built back up close to road level and phase three of the repairs is under way, which includes construction of kerbing, road drainage, the footpath and, critically, the roadside safety barrier (Vehicle Restraint System). The surface layers of the new road will then be laid down and road markings added.
Each stage is being carefully programmed and coordinated to minimise the overall timeline without compromising safety or quality of construction.
The road is expected to reopen early next week.
Diversion
Northbound traffic is diverted to the A6091 and at the junction with the A7 will travel via Galashiels, Stow and Fountainhall. From here, vehicles join the B6458 to re-join the A68 at Tynehead junction. Southbound traffic should follow the same diversion in the opposite direction.
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, the new mobile site my.trafficscotland.org or twitter at @trafficscotland.
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