A ROAD closure will be in place later this month as work continues on a Borders bridge.

The A702 south of West Linton will shut overnight on the weekend of August 24-25 to allow retaining walls to be lifted into place at Westwater Bridge.

The trunk road will be closed in both directions between 8pm and 6am on the Saturday and Sunday. 

David Bishop, BEAR Scotland’s south east unit bridges manager, said: “The current phase of major refurbishment works at Westwater Bridge began at the end of May.

“Part of these improvements involves the installation of new precast concrete retaining walls on the east side of the bridge and it is essential for the safety of road users and our workforce that we fully close the A702 while these heavy units are lifted into place.

“To minimise disruption, we have planned these works to be undertaken overnight.

“We’re grateful to road users and the local community for their patience and understanding.”

A signed diversion route suitable for trunk road traffic will be in place, with northbound motorists directed to leave the A702 at Melbourne Crossroads and follow the A721, A72, A701 and A703, re-joining the A702 at Hillend. 

Southbound traffic will be directed to follow the same route in reverse. This will add around 14 minutes to affected journeys, according to officials.

Alternative routes are available in the local vicinity of West Linton. However, these are not suitable for all vehicles.