PLANS have been unveiled for a flyover at Sheriffhall roundabout on the Edinburgh city bypass.

The move would ease pressure on the A720 around the congestion-prone area.

Three options were set out to improve the junction in December and on Monday the Scottish Government revealed its preferred option.

Detailed design work will now be carried out.

Transport minister Humza Yousaf said: "Sheriffhall roundabout is a well-known bottleneck for motorists using the Edinburgh city bypass.

"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 three emerging options late last year, we are now able to identify a preferred option."

He continued: "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.

"We will now take forward the design work to the next stage, which is the detailed development and assessment of the preferred option, with a view to publishing draft orders for the scheme in 2019 for formal comment."

The flyover will keep local routes on the A7 and A6106 separate from the A720 traffic.

The local roads will also be served by a new, larger roundabout.