A SECTION of the A7 in Hawick will be closed for three weeks from later this month.
The Commercial Road closure is to allow for works associated with the town's flood protection scheme.
The section of carriageway between North Bridge roundabout and Bruce Motors will be shut from next Wednesday (January 25) to allow the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme team to confirm the suitability of the road structure for future flood defences.
Councillor Gordon Edgar said: “The council realises this will be a major inconvenience to some people in the town and beyond but these works are vital to taking the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme forward.
“The project team need to know the current condition of the road structure in order to take forward suitable flood defences for this part of Hawick, which has previously been badly hit by flooding from the nearby River Teviot.
“The project team, SBC roads department and Transport Scotland will monitor the closure throughout its duration to ensure the diversion route is working safely and effectively.”
All businesses in the closed section will still be accessible via signed diversion routes, with a loop road system using Princes Street and the High Street aiming to keep traffic moving during the closure.
The project team have worked closely with Transport Scotland and Scottish Borders Council’s roads department to consider a number of options, including the use of traffic lights, but this could have potentially extended the works to 10 weeks.
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