THE A702 road will be closed at Candymill to Melbourne Crossroads for four nights this week to facilitate resurfacing work.

The works will be undertaken between 7.30pm and 6am.

To ensure the safety of the workforce and the travelling public during these works, it will be necessary to close the A702 with signed diversions in place.

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As the works are being conducted over the A721 Junction, the  northbound diversion will be via the A72 and A701 through Penicuik onto Bush Loan Road before rejoining the A702. Southbound traffic will follow the same diversion in reverse order.  This will add seven minutes and 2.8 miles to journeys.

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Closure of the A721 Junction at Melbourne Crossroads: The diversion for trunk road traffic to and from A721 is via the A73 and the A70 through Carstairs. This will add 16 minutes  and 10.7 miles to journeys.

Consultation has been carried out with emergency services and other relevant stakeholders to share information about the project in advance.

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All work is weather dependent and subject to postponement in the event of adverse conditions.

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South- East Network Manager, said: “These surfacing improvements will address and repair defects in the road surface such a potholes and cracking, creating safer and smoother journeys for motorists.

“It is essential for the safety of the workforce that we close the carriageway during these works, however we’ve scheduled them during overnight hours to minimise any disruption.

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“We thank motorists in advance for their patience while our teams carry out these improvements.”

Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website www.traffic.gov.scot for up-to-date information.