A BORDERS road will close over the next two weekends as part of a “major” refurbishment of a bridge.

The A702 south of West Linton will shut in both directions at Westwater Bridge at 8pm on Saturday (October 5) and reopen at 6am the following day. 

That will also be the case on October 6, 11, 12 and 13 as essential groundworks take place and retaining walls are lifted into place.

A signed diversion route suitable for trunk road traffic will be in place, with northbound traffic 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 is expected to add an extra 14 minutes to affected journeys. Alternative routes are available in the local vicinity of West Linton but are not suitable for all vehicles.

Local access for residents will be maintained up to the closure points around Westwater Bridge, however it will not be possible to cross the bridge itself during these closures.

David Bishop, BEAR Scotland unit bridges manager, said: “We are undertaking essential improvements at Westwater bridge as part of major refurbishment works which started at the end of May.

“Part of these improvements involves the installation of new precast concrete retaining walls 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.”