A STRETCH of road on which there has been a spate of fatal crashes, including one that claimed a baby's life, is to be upgraded using money underspent by the Scottish Government last year.
Finance Secretary John Swinney told MSPs yesterday that the section of the A75 in Dumfriesshire, between Hardgrove and Kinmount, would be upgraded at a cost of around £20 million.
Three-week-old Oliver Hewson was killed in an accident on the road in March and his death led to further pressure on the Government to fund improvements after years of campaigning by local people. Transport Minister Keith Brown said the work could start almost immediately.
Oliver's parents, Suzanne and Eddie, had urged politicians to take action, saying the improvements would be a legacy for their son.
Mr Swinney revealed the plan to improve the road as he announced how he would allocate some of the Government's £179m underspend in the past financial year.
He told MSPs he had allocated £105m of the cash to a stimulus package aimed at creating about 1400 jobs.
The projects include a £22m investment in renewables and low carbon initiatives, some of which will be used for more environmentally friendly buses through the Green Bus Fund.
There is also £35m for housing, £15m to speed up work on hospital maintenance and £10m to improve infrastructure and boost enterprise in Forres, Moray, which was hit by the closure of RAF Kinloss.
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