A slip-road onto the M8 motorway will be closed for five months while another busy road will also be shut for several nights, drivers have been warned.
Major works to refurbish a bridge carrying a slip road and renew the road surface on the motorway at M8 Junction 3, Livingston, is due to start on Monday, February 13.
The £1.4m upgrade of the reinforced concrete bridge that carries the eastbound slip road off the M8 at Junction 3 began with preparatory works last month and now requires the extended closure of the slip road for approximately five months to upgrade the bridge.
Overnight carriageway closures are also planned on the A899, which passes underneath the bridge, to facilitate the safe erection of scaffolding on the structure overhead.
The A899 northbound carriageway will be closed between 8pm and 6am on the nights of Wednesday and Thursday March 8 and 9, then the A899 southbound carriageway will be closed on the nights of Friday and Monday, March 10 and 13.
A £465k programme of overnight resurfacing on the eastbound carriageway of the M8 is also scheduled to begin on Monday, March 6. These works will take place between 8.30am and 6am over five nights, concluding on the morning of Saturday, March 11.
Clearly signed diversion routes will maintain access to Livingston from the M8 at all times, underlining that it is open for business and reflecting the town’s popularity as a commuter town between Edinburgh and Glasgow and its reputation as a prime shopping destination.
Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South East Network Manager, said: “We don’t take the decision to close roads lightly, however it is necessary to ensure the safety of the workforce and road users alike. The diversion routes will be clearly signposted to ease the flow of traffic and ensure ongoing access to Livingston.
“We thank road users in advance for their patience while our teams carry out these essential improvements. Our advice is to plan ahead and allow extra time for your journey if you need to travel through M8 Junction 3 during this period.”
During the slip road closure, traffic heading to Livingston will be directed to leave the M8 at Junction 3A, the junction prior to where the works are taking place. The diversion will follow Carnegie Road, Deans Road and the A89 east to join the A899 Livingston Road at Dechmont Roundabout. This will add less than one mile and typically less than five minutes to journey times - though longer delays can be expected during peak times. Westbound M8 motorway traffic will remain unaffected.
The diversion for overnight resurfacing works on the eastbound M8 will follow the first part of same route from M8 Junction 3A, via Carnegie Road, Deans Road and the A89. Traffic wishing to re-join the M8 rather than go to Livingston will then be advised to continue along the A89 to Newbridge roundabout and the M9, re-joining the M8 at Junction 2. This diversion will add 1.3 miles and an estimated 12 minutes to journeys Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained and all traffic management will be removed outwith working hours.
During northbound closures of the A899, traffic will be diverted off the A899 at the Houston Interchange via Houston Road, Deans Road and the A89. During southbound closures the reverse signed diversion via the A89, Deans Road and Houston Road will be in place. This diversion will add four miles and an estimated seven minutes to journeys.
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