A 96-mile (150km) diversion implemented for overnight road closures on the A75 in Dumfries and Galloway has caused frustration for drivers and residents in southern Scotland
The closure, in effect from 20:00 to 06:00, is due to improvement works and is expected to last for a week, with additional work planned for late October.
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Road maintenance firm Amey stated that the diversion could extend travel times by up to two and a half hours, but claimed to have taken measures to minimise disruption. However, according to the BBC those affected have described the closure as "totally unnecessary" and significantly impactful.
The A75, connecting Gretna and Stranraer, serves as the primary route to the Cairnryan ferry ports. The closure means that journeys between Newton Stewart and Castle Douglas, are four times as long as they used to be, from typically 40 minutes to up to two and a half hours.
Denise Brownlee from Gatehouse of Fleet told the BBC it impacted a meeting she had organised: "A lot of people coming from the west side of Galloway couldn't actually attend because the road closure meant them driving little single track-type roads going home," she said
Travellers from outside the area have also been affected. Kevin Harris from Northern Ireland, a frequent user of the route, described the diversion as "a real pain," while Pete Barraclough from North Yorkshire reported difficulties during his recent visit to the Wigtown Book Festival, telling the BBC, "There was no signage on the A75 warning that it would close at 20:00 and no diversion signage when it did."
