Skip to main content

EIB agrees backing to upgrade Scotland’s core motorway network

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide a funding contribution of US$292 million towards the completion of the motorway link between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The project includes the completion of the M8 motorway between Scotland’s two largest cities and major improvements to the M73 and M74 to reduce congestion and safety and improve travel times on one of Scotland’s busiest road networks. “The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting crucial investment in essential infrast
February 25, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
The 4270 European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide a funding contribution of US$292 million towards the completion of the motorway link between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The project includes the completion of the M8 motorway between Scotland’s two largest cities and major improvements to the M73 and M74 to reduce congestion and safety and improve travel times on one of Scotland’s busiest road networks.

“The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting crucial investment in essential infrastructure across Europe and we recognise the importance of the M8 scheme to upgrade Scotland’s core motorway links. This project will not only provide economic benefits during construction, but will also improve safety and reduce costs for business in the years ahead through improved travel times. We are committed to providing significant long-term financial support for the scheme.” said Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank vice-president responsible for the UK and Ireland.

Transport minister, Keith Brown, said: “This marks a significant milestone in the timeline of what is a major transport infrastructure project for Scotland. Not only will these works vastly improve connectivity across Scotland’s central belt, the project will deliver far reaching benefits to the wider Scottish economy.

“We’ll see the creation of hundreds of new jobs which will leave a lasting legacy of a highly-skilled workforce, bolstering Scotland’s construction industry. In addition, the project will act as a catalyst to attract significant inward investment and stimulate continued growth of our business communities.”

Debt financing for the project is equally split between a direct loan from the European Investment Bank and a bond placement with international investors. The new Scottish scheme represents the first UK road project involving bond finance since the global financial crisis in 2008, and is the largest project to be financed through the 2112 Scottish Government’s Non-Profit Distributing model.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • World Bank to support integrated transport project in China
    March 2, 2016
    The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a loan of US$120 million to China to support the integrated transport development in the Wuhan Metropolitan Region. Located in Hubei Province in central China, the Wuhan Metropolitan Region is a city cluster formed by eight smaller cities within a 100-kilometre radius of the core city Wuhan and has been selected as a pilot in China’s search for a new urban development model attuned to the national goals of promoting equity and environmental sustainab
  • New charging network brings electric motoring to UK drivers
    February 26, 2016
    The completion of a new charging network that stretches the length of Britain’s busiest roads makes long-distance, cross-border journeys by electric vehicles (EV) a realistic prospect for millions more drivers in the UK and Ireland. The network stretches from Stranraer in Scotland to Suffolk in the East of England, from Hull in the North East to Holyhead in north-west Wales, connecting with Belfast in Northern Ireland and Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. Each installation includes at least two of t
  • IRF World Congress 2024: 'Silent pandemic' of road deaths must be reduced
    October 16, 2024
    Day 1 of three-day meeting in Istanbul focuses on sustainability and safety
  • Work begins on major southern Vietnam bridge
    October 25, 2013
    Construction has begun on two-kilometre bridge spanning the Tien River in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. The investment of US$145 million is funded by non-refundable aid from the Australian government, a loan from the Asia Development Bank and Vietnamese government capital. The cable-stayed Cao Lanh Bridge, which links Cao Lanh Town and Lap Vo District in Dong Thap Province, will have four lanes for motorised vehicles to run at a speed of 80 kilometres per hour and two other lanes for non-motoris