A contractor has been selected to take forward ground investigations as part of the work to build a flyover on the busy Sheriffhall junction on the Edinburgh City Bypass.

Transport Scotland has announced the award of a £1.2 million ground investigation contract to Soil Engineering GeoServices Ltd.

The work is programmed to start in January and is expected to be on site for a period of three months.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “Motorists using the Edinburgh City Bypass are well aware of the traffic bottleneck at the Sheriffhall roundabout. As the only junction on the A720 trunk road which is not grade-separated, it is often the scene of congestion and significant queuing, particularly at morning and evening peak times.

“The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering improvements at this busy junction and having let the public see and comment on the preferred option earlier this year, we have stepped up the design work with vital ground investigations to get underway early next year.

“The preferred option will grade separate the junction, separating local traffic from the strategic traffic on the bypass and will allow the traffic on the bypass to flow freely, improving road safety and journey times for all road users. The completed scheme will also include provision for non-motorised users, including cyclists.

“We are taking forward the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option, with a view to publishing draft Orders for the scheme in 2019 for formal comment.”