Ministerial Foreword

The impacts of climate change are unmistakably affecting how people, goods and services move throughout Scotland. The effects of flooding, landslips, scour, and high wind are already putting increased pressure on our Trunk Road Network with climate projections showing that extreme weather events will become increasingly more frequent.

The latest UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3) identifies seven critical risks currently facing Scotland’s transport infrastructure. In response, Transport Scotland is proactively tackling these challenges through our comprehensive Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience. This articulates our vision for a transport system that is well adapted and prepared for current and future impacts of climate change, safe for all users, reliable for everyday journeys, and resilient to weather-related disruption.

As the Scottish Ministers’ single biggest asset, the Scottish Trunk Road Network stretches over 2,300 miles long. It is a geographically diverse network which includes over 2,000 bridges and over 1,800 culverts, footbridges and retaining walls.

These features make the Trunk Road Network increasingly vulnerable to the locked-in impacts of climate change which can contribute to the deterioration of assets, disruption to networks, and potentially hazardous incidents. This impacts the economic and social activities supported by the network. It is imperative to implement resilience measures that safeguard our assets, the road network, and the services they provide.

This Trunk Road Adaptation Plan serves as an action-oriented framework for adapting the Trunk Road Network in alignment with the Approach to Climate Change and Resilience’s overarching vision. The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan builds upon previous studies, incorporating the most current climate change projections to evaluate key climate hazards and vulnerabilities across the network.

This rigorous analysis and assessment has culminated in this comprehensive Adaptation Plan, outlining 43 recommended actions designed to strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change.

The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan presents a pivotal moment in our climate adaptation journey, providing a clear and focused roadmap to guide our efforts over the next five years to ensure Scotland’s Trunk Road Network remains safe, reliable and resilient in the face of a changing climate.

Fiona Hyslop