Major roadworks on the M8 at Harthill are set to finish early, after Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland and their contractor Tarmac were able to allocate additional resources to the project.
Westbound traffic has been restricted to a single lane since Saturday 7 September, with motorists warned to plan ahead and expect long delays. Daytime restrictions will now be removed on Saturday evening, one week ahead of schedule.
In order to safely remove cones and signs that have been in place to manage traffic, two overnight closures of the M8 eastbound at Junction 5 will be required on the nights of Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 September from 20:30 until 06:00. A signed diversion route will be in place on these nights from Junction 5 to Junction 4A via the B7057, B7066 and Balgornie Road, adding approximately four minutes and 0.4 miles to affected journeys.
The westbound carriageway of the M8 will then be closed from 20:30 until 06:00 on the nights of Monday 16, Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 September, to allow resurfacing works around Harthill Services to be completed. A signed diversion route will be in place on these nights from Junction 4A to Junction 5 via Balgornie Road, the B7066 and the B7057, again adding approximately four minutes and 0.4 miles to affected journeys.
Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times.
Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South East Network Manager, said: “The team has made faster than expected progress on this major resurfacing scheme after additional resources were deployed.
“This has been a significantly deeper and more comprehensive resurfacing project than is typically carried out during overnight closures. We fully appreciate how disruptive daytime lane restrictions are, so we’re pleased to be able to remove these early.
“We thank road users for their patience and understanding.”
Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland at www.traffic.gov.scot, or on X at @trafficscotland.
All works are weather dependent and subject to postponement in the event of adverse conditions.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
