Bear returns to Borders roads

by DOUG COLLIE

The responsibility for the management and maintenance of trunk roads in the Scottish Borders and the rest of the south-eastern region will be transferred from Amey PLC to Bear Scotland Ltd. later this year following the award of a £720 million contract.

Bear had responsibility for the trunk road network in this sector until 2014 when Amey lodged a successful bid for the Scottish Government contract. Meanwhile Bear concentrated operations on the main arteries in North-west and North-east Scotland.

This week's confirmation of the new eight-year deals means Amey will look after roads in the South-west division, their deal being worth £690 million.

The South-east sector takes in 550 miles of road, including highways in Lothian and Borders. Bear will maintain and repair the Edinburgh by-pass and a styretch of the M8 motorway.

Other routes covered by the Scottish roads set-up are the A1 from Edinburgh to the national boundary just north of Berwick-on-Tweed, the A68 from Edinburgh to Carter BAr, south of Jedburgh, the A7 from Galashiels south to the border with Cumbria, the A702 from Edinburgh to Abingdon and the short stretch of the A6091 from Kingsknowes Roundabout, Galashiels to Ravenswood Roundabout, Melrose.

According to its last published accounts (for 2018) Bear Scotland's profits from operating the North-west and North-east sectors fell from £3 million in 2017 to £2.2 million the following year.

Profits were affected by high winter maintenance costs and high salt usage, the company having to cope with the fearsome "Beast from the East"

"This caused a deterioration of the condition of road surfaces resulting in unprecedented levels of third party claims and repairs", the company said.

At that time Bear had a workforce of 567 including 301 operational staff and 266 administrative employees.

The handover from Amey to Bear is scheduled for August of this year.