UK transport secretary confirms £8m for A75 improvements

The UK's transport secretary has confirmed an £8m funding package will be used to improve the A75 in the south of Scotland.

Among the key areas to be examined are bypasses for the villages of Crocketford and Springholm.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said it would aid the "main artery" linking Northern Ireland to northern England.

The A75 runs between Gretna and Stranraer and carries traffic to the ferry ports at Cairnryan.

Improvements to the A75 was on the long list of transport projects around the UK which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said would be built using the money from the cancellation of HS2.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper confirmed the £8m in his response to the Union Connectivity Review - which recommended supporting efforts to make travel between Scotland and Northern Ireland easier.

The Scottish government's Strategic Transport Projects Review also identified improving the safety, resilience and reliability of the route as a priority.

Mr Jack said the funding could "kick-start" work by Transport Scotland to identify improvements on the A75.

Scottish transport minister Fiona Hyslop said her government recognised the strategic importance of the route and the "critical link" it provided to wider markets.

She said that while transport was a devolved matter, the Scottish government had been invited to bid for UK government funding after the announcement of the Union Connectivity Fund in 2021.

"We submitted our bid in April and again in October given that a decision had not been received," she said.

"We continue to engage proactively with the UK government and we await their confirmation of when funding will be received."

South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth said that a repeated announcement of funding everyone already knew about was "not good enough" and showed a "lack of ambition" from both governments.

Ferry firm Stena Line said it welcomed "wholeheartedly" the support which could carry out a feasibility study of options to bypass Springholm and Crocketford.

"Hopefully this will help to map out a clear way forward to improve this vital link between Northern Ireland, south-west Scotland and markets across the UK," it said in a statement.

Dumfries and Galloway Council said it hoped the funding could help improve a "vital link for communities and commerce".

It said a detailed look at the potential for bypassing the two villages was "particularly welcome".

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