THE proposed Glasgow southern orbital road between Newton Mearns and East Kilbride could cost council taxpayers in East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire an additional #5m on top of the original estimate of #36m building costs, it has emerged.
Transco, Scottish Gas's pipeline system operator, confirmed yesterday that the proposed route would require the realignment of 11 gas pipelines.
The work, it was estimated following preliminary calculations, could cost in the region of #5m, said a Transco spokeswoman.
''It is quite a big job from our point of view,'' she said, although the preferred route might yet be changed.
''There are regulations as to the distances between pipes and various things like housing and roads. If the road planned does go ahead, it would go straight through that area and then things would need to be realigned,'' she added.
A spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council said the cost would be met by council taxpayers through Private Finance Initiative funding.
Under the proposals from the two councils, a consortium, or single business, will have to bid to build, own and operate the road and the councils will then pay the consortium for having done the work.
The road scheme is part of a PFI package, including new schools, for which the councils received Scottish Office authority. The Scottish Office itself has agreed to give #2.5m Challenge Fund finance for setting-up and promotion costs.
The scheme, according to the Scottish Office, is not subject to the current roads review because it is not a trunk road, although some anti-roads campaigners dispute this definition.
The East Renfrewshire Council spokesman said it was normal to come across matters such as the realignment of pipelines in a road-building project and that similar matters had been encountered in the construction of sections of the M74 and M77.
Dr Richard Dixon, head of research for Friends of the Earth Scotland, which is campaigning against the route on environmental and sustainable transport grounds, called for alternative options to the road to be considered.
If the road had to go ahead, he urged the councils to see if another route could be offered which would not incur the same costs for gas pipeline realignment.
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