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Bridges are inspected in accordance with the National Standard CS 450 Inspection of Highway Structures and the condition is ranked and prioritised in accordance with the requirements of The Inspection Manual for Highway Structures Volume 1 and the Transport Scotland Structures Manual.

The emergency telephones on the A90 are maintained under a term contract managed by Transport Scotland whereby a monthly unitary payment is made, for the maintenance and repair of, Scotland wide, ITS (Intelligent Transport System) roadside assets such as the A90 emergency telephones.

In the summer of 2024, on behalf of Transport Scotland, the Traffic Scotland Service Operator (Mobiie) conducted an Operational Requirement review of Emergency Roadside Telephones (ERT’s) resulting in the recommendation that the ERT’s remain in operation as a service to the public.

Scottish Ministers have a duty of care to ensure its structures are safe for public use. Our maintenance, strengthening and replacement programmes ensure that all structures and their elements are routinely inspected to determine they are fit for use as well as to implement measures to mitigate any impact to the network.

The prioritisation of bridges and structures maintenance follows a Value Management Risk Approach using the following four criteria:

1.Safety – the overall effects on the end user, including fatalities and injuries that would be caused by a failure.

2.Functionality – the impact of a loss or reduction in service. This may be considered at route, structure or component level.

3.Environment – Environmental impacts, such as pollution caused through traffic delay, the sensitivity of the route/area, etc.

4.Sustainability – of both expenditure and workload, where the aim is to reach a state of steady expenditure and workload, avoiding the build-up of a backlog of unavoidable, essential work by doing effective, targeted preventative maintenance.

Our Operating Companies develop a 1 and 3 year programmes of bridge maintenance works, which are reviewed by Transport Scotland. Maintenance works are programmed based on priority . Structural Reviews are also carried out in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges standard CS 451, which determines the requirement for any structure assessment, and these are included in the 1 and 3 year programmes.

Safety concerns are recorded as defects and addressed in accordance with contractual requirements and timescales.

Safety defects and remedial actions on the A90 over the last five years are detailed below:

• A90 840 Portlethan Overbridge – Damaged parapet mesh. Parapet mesh was replaced.
• A90 630 Stracathro Overbridge - Damage to Vehicle Restraint System (VRS) post. VRS post replaced.
• A90 310 Kings Cross West Overbridge – Plugged drain. Drain cleared.

Refurbishment and upgrades to the A90 Kingsway, Dundee Strathmartine and Old Glamis footbridges are planned for the 2025-26 financial year.

These works are currently at the tendering stage so a detailed construction programme is unavailable. Preparatory works have commenced on site with temporary pedestrian crossings being installed prior to the footbridges being removed from site for refurbishment/upgrade.

Following the incident, ecological surveys were required before detailed structural investigations and repair works could begin. These identified protected species in the vicinity of the bridge and as such, repairs could not commence until further surveys were completed. These processes cannot be circumvented as they are a statutory requirement, and Transport Scotland must ensure compliance with legislation.

There are seven emergency telephones installed on the A90 north of Dundee and two on other sections of the A90.

The current estimated costs are £716,432.40. However, this may increase as the investigation and design for the permanent works progresses.

Construction is anticipated to be complete by the end of September 2025. However, investigations and permanent works design are still ongoing. Ecological factors at the site will also severely affect the available construction window

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-33160 on 22 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

2296 of the 2297 streetlights on the A90 are fitted with LED bulbs.