A section of Moray’s busiest trunk road will be closed for six weeks while engineers upgrade a gas main.
Gas distribution network SGN will begin work along a stretch of the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness route between Elgin’s Pansport Road and Ashgrove Road next week.
The firm has declared the programme is essential to guarantee a safe and reliable gas supply to homes around the east of the town.
The scheme has been developed alongside the Health and Safety Executive, and Bear Scotland and Moray Council will carry out other improvements while the road section is cordoned off.
The project will begin at the Ashgrove Road and Victoria Crescent junctions with the A96 on Monday, July 4.
Victoria Crescent will be closed at its junction for the duration of the project.
Traffic will be unable to exit Ashgrove Road onto the trunk route, and a diversion will be in place via Linkwood Road and the A941 Elgin to Rothes road.
Motorists heading eastbound on the A96 will not be able to turn right into Ashgrove Road, but traffic travelling westbound will be able to turn left onto the road that leads to the south of Elgin.
From Tuesday, July 12, a westbound lane closure will be in place between Ashgrove Road and the Pansport Road roundabout.
Traffic will only be able to travel eastbound along the A96 with those travelling westbound being diverted via Reiket Lane, Thornhill Road and the A941.
SGN project manager, David Munro, said he understood that the work would cause motorists some “frustration”.
He added: “We’ve worked closely with the local authorities in planning this work, and we will be doing everything we can to reduce disruption during this essential project.
“We appreciate roadworks can be frustrating. However, the new plastic pipe has a minimum lifespan of 80 years.
“This means that once the work has been completed, homes and businesses in the area will have the benefits of a continued safe and reliable gas supply for many years to come.”
