Former First Minister Alex Salmond has praised the efforts of Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/ Balmedie to Tipperty project contractors after it was announced that they had raised almost £40,000 in two years for local charitable causes.

The MP for Gordon, who as Scotland’s First Minister inaugurated the road project in 2012, said: “Everyone can see that the AWPR workers are going flat out to build us a great road. What is less well known is the extent of community work they are also doing. It is time that these commendable efforts were recognised.”

With a sum of £37,339 raised via a range of sponsored projects, charities such as CLAN Cancer Support, the Red Cross, Camphill School, Aberdeen Cyrenians, Cornerstone, the Archie Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Maryculter Woodland Trust, Maggie’s Aberdeen and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution have all benefited from donations.

Since 2015, workers have donated more than 500 hours of their time, which has included cycling the length of mainland Britain, running half marathons, repairing woodland walks and even taking part in lifeboat rescue missions.

Staff have also led Christmas food drops across Aberdeen and Balmedie for Aberdeen Cyrenians and taken part in other festive efforts across local communities.

Mr Salmond added: “The AWPR/B-T development is a massive project, and the impact upon the whole of the North East is hugely significant for our future prosperity.

“I am really pleased to see that those who are striving to provide top class infrastructure to our area are also making their mark in the surrounding local communities.

“The benefits of the road network will be quickly become clear upon its completion in 2018, but the benefits of a workforce going above and beyond to make their mark upon local charities and organisations are already there to see.

“It is a mark of the work-ethic of the teams toiling around the clock to see that the North East finally has the road connectivity it deserves.”

Individual achievements include:

Technical director for the project, John Guild, took part in a non-stop cycle relay from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and completed the 981-mile route in 84 hours. He raised £1,000 for Cancer Research UK.

AWPR/B-T driver Paul Cooper raised more than £1,000 for CLAN Cancer Support by dressing up as an elf and helping Santa at the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen.

Eight staff members assisted the Maryculter Woodland Trust in creating a new car park for visitors, donated waste wood and other materials for a variety of uses in the process.

A team of 18 staff from the project raised £1,200 for Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland as the “Hi-Vis Heroes”, completing an endurance race at Knockburn Loch near Strachan on Deeside.

Project staff have also volunteered to help crucial life-saving organisations with works manager Colin McNeil joining the Aberdeen team of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

His time with the team included a callout to search for a missing 14-year-old boy during the night, where the youngster was found safe and well on the shoreline on the outskirts of Aberdeen.