A737 and A77 statutory processes and economic assessments: EIR release

FOI reference: FOI/18/00118
Date received: 11 January 2018
Date responded: 29 January 2018

Information requested

• Information as to how the decision was made to prioritise this road improvement [A737 Dalry Bypass] before the A77 Maybole bypass.

• Information on the Economic Impact Assessment for both projects.

• Information about the removal of the traffic lights which have been sited on the A77 at Carlock hill as to whether the planned target of February 2018 for removal is on track.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

In response to the first part of your request, procurement and construction of any Scheme can only commence if the scheme is approved under the relevant statutory procedures and the allocation of funding. The statutory process for the A737 Dalry Bypass and A77 Maybole bypass were undertaken separately as each Scheme was considered, assessed and progressed on an individual basis.

The statutory processes for the A737 Dalry Bypass were completed in December 2015 with the 2016/17 draft budget of 16 December 2015 confirming that procurement of the Scheme would commence in 2016/17.

The statutory processes for the A77 Maybole Bypass were completed in 2016 subsequent to the 2016/17 budget announcement and as such had to wait for suitable funding opportunities to ensure further progress. The draft 2017/18 draft budget published on 15 December 2016 subsequently confirmed that procurement of the Scheme would commence in 2017/18.

In response to the second part of your request, the traffic and economic assessments for both Schemes formed part of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Stage 3 Reports. The Stage 3 Scheme Assessment Reports for both Schemes can be viewed on Transport Scotland's website at the following links:-

A77 Traffic and Economic Assessment Report

A737 Traffic and Economic Assessment Report

With regard to the final part of your enquiry, there are no traffic lights installed on the A77 at Carlock Hill. I believe you may be referring to the traffic lights at Cairnryan and if this is the case then I can advise you that due to an unforeseen delay in the construction works it is now anticipated that the works will be completed by the end of March 2018 and the traffic lights removed on completion of said works.

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