Councillors approve A7 active travel improvements

Midlothian Council is to spend almost £1.5 million of developer contributions on improving a stretch of the A7 so that people can walk, wheel, cycle and access public transport more easily. 
At the full Council meeting on Tuesday, councillors approved the project to upgrade the A7 between the Melville Dykes to Eskbank Road Roundabouts. 

Developer contributions

The work, at no cost to the council, will be done between now and March 2026. 

The improvements

It will see: 

• A 3.5m wide shared use path created on the south bound lane of the A7 from North Esk Bridge to the Eskbank Road Round about 
• 2 new Toucan Crossings built 
• 4 new bus stops installed, including lay-bys, shelters and Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) signs, where applicable 
• 12,000m2 of carriageway surface improved 
• Low energy LED lighting installed 
• 1.5m green blue strip (improving drainage, biodiversity and creating a boulevard street scene) 
• The speed limit revised to 30mph over this upgraded stretch 

Key route

Midlothian Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Colin Cassidy said: “We fully support the proposal to urbanise this stretch of the A7 corridor, much of which has no pavements for pedestrians and is a key route between neighbouring council areas.  

Community feedback

“We get a lot of community feedback asking for improvements along this stretch which has seen multiple housing developments built up around it in recent years and now needs significant investment to enable active travel and access to public transport for local people.” 

10 weeks to complete

The work, which is estimated to take 10 weeks to complete and cost £1.496m, is not part of the recent consultation to improve active travel and connections with public transport along a wider stretch of the A7. 

Recent consultation

A total of 860 people filled in the survey and a further report will be considered by councillors in coming months. 

Externally funded

What local people told us will develop a concept design, which will tie in with the work along the Melville Dykes to Eskbank Road Roundabouts. This consultation and design work is funded by Transport Scotland though the Sustrans Places for Everyone (PfE) programme.