A76 being rerouted to avoid 'unstable' embankment

The road is being realigned to take it away from a dangerous embankment

A major route through southern Scotland is being closed completely as part of a project to take the road away from an unstable river embankment.

The scheme on the A76 between Thornhill and Sanquhar will bring to an end to five years of temporary traffic lights.

After repeated calls for action, work to take the road away from the river bank got started in June.

The road will be shut from 19:00 on Friday until 06:00 on Monday with the main diversion about 50 miles long.

Temporary traffic lights were in place on the road for five years

Overall the project is expected to take about 30 weeks to complete.

The work will see the new carriageway connected to the existing section of the road.

Once finished it will divert the road away from an area that is "prone to landslips".

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said that when the work started it would provide "more reliable journey times" on the route.