WORKS to upgrade the central reservation safety barrier on the M90 between Kelty and Kingseat are set to get underway from Monday July 30 and are expected to last for five weeks.

The works involve the replacement of approximately 3km of central reservation wire rope safety fencing with a new steel barrier.

Three over bridges - Cocklaw, Lassodie, and Cuddiehouse - will also have the central reservation bridge piers maintained during this process.

Lane closures will be in effect on both northbound and southbound carriageways throughout the construction period.

Road users will have access to nearside lanes in both directions with the hard shoulder being used in the event of emergencies. During the construction period, a reduced speed limit of 50mph will be in place to reduce the risks to motorists travelling through the road works and to protect road workers.

The safety barrier replacement will be carried out during the daytime, however, the lane closures will remain in place for 24 hours throughout the construction period.

This is to protect the travelling public from hazards present on the site and remove the risk of errant high-speed vehicles traveling across the central reserve whilst a barrier is not present.

Site operations will be split into two phases to reduce the amount of traffic management affecting motorists, with the first phase commencing on Monday 30th July for three weeks. The second phase will then commence on Monday 20th August for two weeks.

Commenting on the improvements, Andy Thompson, BEAR Scotland’s North East Representative, said: “Safety is a top priority for both BEAR Scotland and Transport Scotland.

"While we recognise that the 24-hour lane closures may affect journey times on the route, they are essential to ensure the safety of the travelling public whilst the operations are ongoing. We encourage road users to plan their journey in advance and allow some extra journey time.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland on www.trafficscotland.org, twitter @trafficscotland, or on the new Traffic Scotland mobile site, my.trafficscotland.org.