SOME delays are expected on the A699 and A7 Thursday November 9 as a large blade is scheduled to be transported to Pines Burn Windfarm.

Planned deliveries on Monday November 6 and Wednesday November 8 were postponed due to weather conditions.

However today's forecast is favourable.

The blade is set to leave St Boswells around 9.30am from the A68 along the A699 to the A7. From there it will travel south to Hawick and onwards to the site.

The transport of the turbine components will be carried out by an experienced hauliers using extremely specialist vehicles that travel at low speeds on certain routes. 

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These vehicles are able to lift and tilt the long components where necessary to avoid trees, lamp posts, road signs and to negotiate bends and road undulations.

Due to the size of the turbine components they are classified as abnormal loads and must be escorted by specially trained Police Scotland officers.

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The blades are 64.8 metres long whilst the tower sections vary between 21 to 37.4m long. For this first Phase there are 21 blades and 21 tower sections to be delivered to site.

There will be passing places agreed with the police to let traffic through where possible.

There will be additional signs placed along the route warning motorists of slow moving load on the days of transport.

Pines Burn Windfarm would like to assure communities that all efforts are being made to keep this to an absolute minimum.

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The delivery is subject to weather on the day and blades may be parked on one of the layby’s if required due to weather or daylight hours. All times are approximate.

The Pines Burn wind farm project is located approximately 6km Southwest of Bonchester Bridge and 8km South of Hawick in the Scottish Borders.

The project consists of 11 wind turbines, with tip heights between 130m, 145m and 149.9m. The development will be operational for a 30-year period, after which the turbines would be removed, and the site restored.

The project will be built in two phases. Phase I comprises the seven larger turbines at 145m and 149.9m. Phase II comprises four turbines at 130m.