Details of this option, which will involve realigning around 1km of the road, have been presented to key local stakeholders and put on show at a public exhibition in Thornhill.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: “I pledged to take action on the issue of landslips on the A76 at the South West’s first ever transport summit, so I’m very pleased to announce that a long term solution has been identified.

“Our preferred option is to divert the road away for around 1km from the area that is prone to landslips. Whilst this may take a longer time to complete than other options, it offers the best value for money and delivers greater resilience to that section of the route.

“The geography of the area presents significant challenges to engineers, but positive work is already under way with the local landowner to transfer ownership of land to Scottish Ministers to allow this work to go ahead.

“This investment will help provide more reliable journey times for motorists and businesses along the full length of the A76, as well as improving connectivity in the region and further afield to Northern Ireland.”