A contractor has been appointed for a £1.2m project on the Edinburgh City Bypass.

Transport Scotland announced that Soil Engineering GeoServices has been given the £1.2m contract for ground investigations before a flyover is built at the Sheriffhall roundabout.

The work is due to start in January and will take around three months.

Transport minister, Humza Yousaf said: "Motorists using the Edinburgh City Bypass are well aware of the traffic bottleneck at the Sheriffhall roundabout.

"As the only junction on the A720 trunk road which is not grade-separated, it is often the scene of congestion and significant queuing, particularly at morning and evening peak times.

"The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering improvements at this busy junction and having let the public see and comment on the preferred option earlier this year, we have stepped up the design work with vital ground investigations to get underway early next year."

The preferred option will grade separate local traffic from the strategic traffic on the bypass and will allow the traffic on the bypass to flow freely.

The completed scheme will also include provision for non-motorised users, including cyclists.