MAJOR WORKS ON M8 AT JUNCTION 4 EAST WHITBURN BRIDGES COMMENCE MONDAY 16TH SEPTEMBER


Essential concrete repairs, installation of combined drainage, waterproofing, central barrier replacement, joint replacement and carriageway surfacing work will take place on the M8 at Junction 4, East Whitburn Bridges from Monday 16th September until Monday 9th December 2019. The scheme will be carried out continuously, in two phases, over twelve weeks.


The works, valued at over £270,000, will benefit around 56,000 vehicles using this section of the M8 each day, by improving the condition of the structures and carriageway, and reducing the need for more extensive maintenance in the future.


To allow the scheme to take place there will be systematic closures of the M8 eastbound and westbound carriageways at this location with temporary traffic management in place to maintain traffic flows. The traffic management will consist of one phase of lane closures and a second phase of contraflows. Both phases will utilise the existing slip roads which will have temporary traffic signals on the A801. Throughout the works, recovery vehicles will be on-site to assist with potential breakdowns and the speed limit through the works will be reduced to 40mph. The anticipated maximum delays to the M8 mainline traffic is estimated at less than 5 minutes across both phases.


Scheme mobilisation will take place from Monday 16th September until Friday 20th September 2019 and requires closure of both the M8 eastbound and westbound carriageways between the hours of 9pm and 6am each night. The mobilisation period is required to remove existing road markings in preparation of traffic management and install mobile variable message signage.
During this mobilisation work westbound traffic will be instructed to exit the M8 via Junction 3a to join the A779 northbound towards Boghall Roundabout. At the roundabout, traffic will take the first exit onto the A7066 southbound and at Boghead Roundabout will take the third exit to join the A706. From here, traffic will continue straight through Whitdale Roundabout and will take the first right turn onto the B7066. At Heartlands Industrial Estate Roundabout, traffic will take the third exit and follow signage to rejoin the M8 westbound via Junction 4a.


Eastbound traffic will follow the same diversion route but in the opposite direction.


PHASE ONE of the works will be carried out from Friday 20th September until Wednesday 23rd October 2019 with 24-hour traffic management in operation.


The M8 eastbound mainline carriageway at Junction 4 will be closed with traffic running on hard shoulder and slip road while on the westbound mainline carriageway lane one will remain open to traffic as will the slip road. Temporary traffic signals will be in place at the bottom of each slip road and on the A801 roundabout.


Between Wednesday 23rd October and Sunday 27th October 2019 there will be further overnight closures of both the M8 Junction 4 eastbound and westbound carriageways from 9pm until 6am, each night. This will allow for a change in traffic management and the same diversion route for scheme mobilisation, as detailed above, will apply.


PHASE TWO of the works will be carried out under 24-hour traffic management from Sunday 27th October until Monday 9th December 2019.


There will be a full closure of the eastbound carriageway with traffic diverted via slip roads and a contraflow onto lane two of the westbound carriageway. Westbound traffic will continue on lane one, and the slip roads at M8 Junction 4. As the scheme progresses, the traffic management layout will switch such that westbound traffic will be diverted using slip roads and a contraflow onto lane two of the eastbound carriageway. Eastbound traffic will run on lane one, and the slip roads at M8 Junction 4.
This scheme has been planned in consultation with Transport Scotland, Traffic Scotland, the emergency services, the Road Haulage Association, Bus Operating companies, local businesses, Harthill Services, Edinburgh Bus Station and West Lothian Council.
Please note, all schemes are weather dependent and may be cancelled or rescheduled if weather conditions are not favourable.
A free Road Work Alerts service is available from the website: www.setrunkroads.co.uk
An email address is all that is required to sign up for the service.
Real-time journey information can be obtained by visiting www.trafficscotland.org or via Twitter: @TrafficScotland
To report a problem on the network visit: http://setrunkroads.co.uk/report-a-problem/

Website | + posts

Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.