Cross East Lothian Active Freeway

About the Active Freeway

East Lothian has the opportunity to re-purpose the A199 into a corridor for local traffic alongside a high-quality, shared-use path for walking, wheeling and cycling. This will link Dunbar through East Linton, Haddington and Tranent to Musselburgh and onto Edinburgh, and has the potential to be both an efficient cycle commuter route and to provide crucial local connections.

Artist's impression of a typical cross-section of the Cross East Lothian Active Freeway

A study published in 2016 estimated high-level costs for an improved active travel link between Dunbar and Musselburgh and the route was incorporated into our Local Development Plan 2018. Since then, developments within 1.2km of the proposed route have been making contributions towards the construction costs.

In 2023, we secured futher funding from Sustrans to develop designs for the sections from Dunbar to Haddington, and Haddington to Tranent.. 

Phasing

The Active Freeway will largely follow the A199 and the design phasing is shown in the map below.

The project is proposed to be constructed in stages, as funding opportunities become available, and not necessarily in a linear fashion, as there will be a focus on towns and villages first.  The construction programme will also depend on other works expected in the area to ensure that we make best use of resources and avoid unecessary delays.

Plan showing the proposed phases of the Active Freeway

Further information can be viewed on this interactive map.

Consultation

An online survey and a series of pop-up events to gather the views of stakeholders and the public took place in the summer of 2023 to identify problems and opportunities along the study corridor related to walking, wheeling, cycling, public transport and placemaking.Later that year, a second round of consultation (online and via a drop-in event) gathered feedback on the initial design proposals. Feedback was collated by the study team and incorporated into the final designs where possible. Further detailed consultation on the route through Haddington, Tranent and Macmerry is expected to take place in 2025

Specification

Cycling by Design, which provides guidance for cycling infrastructure design in Scotland, specifies a minimum of a 2.5m wide path with a 1m ‘buffer strip’ (an area of hardstanding or verge between the path and the carriageway). The Active Freeway designs aim to achieve this while keeping the proposed path within the road corridor so that there is no need to encroach on land which is not under the control of East Lothian Council, nor have an unnecessary impact on local biodiversity since hedges can largely remain intact.  

It is recognised that the A199 is a diversionary route for A1 traffic when the trunk road is closed, and so we have sought to retain the A199's existing carriageway width where possible by using space within the verge and advisory cycle lanes to construct the proposed path. At all points it will be possible for large vehicles such as HGVs and buses to safely pass each other, and road markings and signage will make any constraints clear.

Bus stops along the route are proposed to be enhanced, and we are taking the opportunity to provide hardstanding and bus stop shelters on the south side of the road where there have not always been accessible bus stops. Dropped kerb crossings and tactile paving between bus stops on opposite sides of the road will be included.  

Directional and informational signage will highlight local points of interest, thus supporting sustainable tourism. Biodiversity will be enhanced through wildflower and tree planting where possible, improving the overall attractiveness of the corridor.

Speed limits

In March 2024 the Council resolved to undetake the statutory process known as a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to introduce a reduced speed limit along the route. This means that when funding is confirmed for any part of the route where a reduced speed limit may be necessary for safety reasons, we will publish the TRO for comment on www.tellmescotland.gov.uk/. Statutory consultees such as bus and haulage operators, emergency services and community councils will be given additional opportunities to engage. All feedback will be collated and a final decision will be made on whether to impose the new speed limit.

We recognise that some concerns have been raised about the impact of speed limit changes on journey times for motorists and bus users. It is anticipated that journey times will not be  significantly affected for most people travelling between Dunbar, Haddington, Macmerry and Tranent given the presence of the A1 alternative route running parallel to the corridor.

Next Steps

There will be a focus on the towns and villages first as the Active Freeway in these settlements provides crucial links to local facilities such as schools and shops, as well as being part of the long-distance corridor. For each stage of the work we will need to access external funding, and were pleased to be able to begin construction in East Linton thanks to funding from Sustrans in 2024-25.

We hope to begin further consultation with Macmerry residents in 2025, with a view to moving towards construction in 2026. We will also look to start some high-level design conversations in Haddington and Tranent in 20205.