Can I drive to and from my property during the works? If your property is within the work zone for a particular night, no, you will not have vehicle access. For safety reasons, vehicle access to properties located within the active works zone each night will not be permitted while construction activities are taking place. If your property is within the live work zone, we recommend parking your vehicle outside the works area before the road closure comes into effect. Alternative parking should be used for the duration of the overnight closure period. You can find the timings for each zone here. Pedestrian access will be maintained wherever possible, and access for emergency services will be available at all times.
What if I need to leave home during the night for work or an emergency? If you need to leave or return to your property during the overnight works, please be aware that vehicle access through the active works zone will not be possible while construction activities are taking place. Residents who require access during the closure period are therefore advised to park their vehicles outside the works area before the road closure comes into effect. Pedestrian access will be maintained wherever possible. Emergency service access will be maintained at all times. In the event of an emergency, emergency vehicles will be escorted safely through the works area as required.
Can carers, district nurses, taxis and visitors still access properties within the closure? While access to Lauder will be maintained, vehicle access through the active works area will not be possible while works are taking place each night. This means carers, healthcare professionals, taxis and visitors may be unable to reach properties located within the live work zone during working hours. Residents expecting essential visits are advised to make arrangements in advance where possible and ensure any vehicles requiring overnight access are parked outside the works area before the road closure comes into effect.
Who should I speak to if I have special access requirements? Access should be arranged in advance of the works by contacting SEConsultationRoads@bearscotland.co.uk. You will need to provide your name, address, vehicle details and times and dates when access will be required.
Businesses
Will local businesses remain open during the works? Yes. Local businesses will remain open throughout the project. However, businesses located within the active works area will not be accessible by vehicle during working hours. Customers, staff and deliveries should therefore plan accordingly and use parking available outside the works area before continuing their journey on foot. Pedestrian access will be maintained wherever possible. Lauder Businesses Open As Usual signs will be installed at both the Carfraemill and Thirlestane hard closure points, and outside the immediate construction zone area during the working period.
Will deliveries to businesses still be possible? Businesses will remain open throughout the works; however, deliveries to properties located within the active works area may be affected during working hours when the road is closed. Where possible, deliveries should be scheduled outside of the overnight closure period or alternative arrangements made in advance.
Parking
Where should I park if my usual parking space falls within the work area? If your usual parking space is located within the active works area, you will need to park your vehicle outside the signed road closure and parking restriction extents before works commence each evening. Alternative parking locations are available within Lauder, including areas highlighted in green on the parking and access plans provided on this project page. Please ensure your vehicle is moved before the restrictions come into effect to avoid disruption to the works.
How much notice will residents receive before parking restrictions are introduced? Details of the restrictions will be communicated through this webpage, local information signs and on-site signage. In addition, ‘No Parking’ cones and restriction signs will be placed in advance of each phase to clearly indicate the areas affected and when restrictions will apply. We kindly ask residents to check the signage regularly and move any vehicles from the restricted areas before works commence each evening to help us complete the works safely and efficiently
What happens if a vehicle is left within the works area? Vehicles must not be parked within the signed works area during the overnight closures. Any vehicle left within the work zone may prevent the works from being carried out safely and could result in delays to the programme. Where possible, we will attempt to contact and locate the vehicle owner to arrange for the vehicle to be moved. We therefore ask all residents and visitors to move their vehicles to an alternative parking location outside the works area before the parking restrictions come into effect each evening. Parking restrictions will be clearly indicated through advance signage and No Parking cones.
Noise and disruption
Which activities are likely to be the noisiest? The noisiest activities are typically those associated with removing the existing road surface, adjusting or replacing ironwork such as manhole covers and drainage grates, and laying the new surfacing material. These operations require the use of specialist heavy plant and machinery and may generate increased noise levels. We understand that overnight works can be disruptive and we will do what we can to minimise noise impacts on nearby residents. Wherever possible, the noisiest operations will be completed by 11:00pm. However, this does not mean there will be no noise after this time, as construction activities will continue throughout the overnight working period. We will continue to make every effort to keep noise and disruption to a minimum while completing these essential works safely and efficiently.
Will reversing alarms and heavy machinery be used overnight? Yes. Heavy machinery will be used throughout the overnight works, including equipment required for surfacing, excavation, ironwork adjustments and road-marking activities. Vehicles and plant operating within the works area may also use reversing alarms. These are an essential safety feature designed to protect roadworkers and members of the public by warning when vehicles are manoeuvring. While we will take reasonable steps to minimise noise wherever possible, some noise associated with construction activities and safety equipment is unavoidable during works of this nature. All site contractors will be briefed on working considerately and will receive a Being a Good Neighbour toolbox talk to ensure noise disruption is minimised by completing the noisiest operations by 11pm, switching engines off whenever possible, turning off directional noise indicators in between activities if possible, keeping drop heights to a minimum and will be traveling at reduced speeds.
Road users
Why is a full road closure necessary? A full road closure is required to allow the works to be carried out safely and efficiently. The nature of the resurfacing works involves large construction vehicles, specialist machinery and operatives working across the full width of the carriageway. This means there is insufficient space to safely maintain traffic through the works area while construction activities are underway. By using overnight road closures, we can complete the works in fewer shifts, helping to minimise the overall duration of disruption to residents, businesses and road users. The works have been programmed using three specific work zones to reduce the overall impact.
Why can’t the works be completed during the day? Carrying out the works during the day would result in significantly greater disruption to residents, businesses and road users due to the higher traffic volumes on the A68 through Lauder. By undertaking the works overnight, when traffic levels are lower, we can safely complete the resurfacing and associated ironwork improvements while reducing the impact on journey times and helping to maintain access to local businesses during normal trading hours.
Construction programme
What happens if bad weather causes delays? The programme has been carefully planned; however, some activities are weather dependent and may need to be postponed if conditions are unsuitable for carrying out the works safely or to the required quality standard. Should adverse weather result in delays, the programme may be adjusted and any changes will be communicated through this webpage and local information signs.
When was the road last resurfaced? The carriageway throughout the site extents was last resurfaced between 9-11 years ago. Deteriorated utility tracks below the pavement surface are the primary reason for the potholes and depressions present on the site.
How long is the new road surface expected to last? The new road surface is expected to last over 10 years. Roads through historic towns and villages such as Lauder tend to have a complex array of underground utilities at varying depths which would ideally be realigned to address the issues they cause in the pavement. This would cause substantial disruption on the local area and road users on the A68 over a significant period of time. Extensive investigations into the pavement have been undertaken as part of this project which has helped to develop the approved treatment. This looks to provide a more substantial intervention than typically used for sites like this, without the significant disruption. This approach involves targeted structural treatments using stiffer materials and geosynethics layers to increase the strength and stress absorbing properties of the new pavement.
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