Regardless of cost the road should have been 'Motorway' for years. Imagine the benefit in trade for us all. The debate on independence, could be said, to hinge on topics like this. Travel South at any stage over the last ten / twenty years and clearly the road building projects have cost squillions! Unfair advantage it seems to me! On the other hand you could say ' they have paved paradise and put up a parking lot' As Joni would say!