Police closed a section of the M8 motorway for several hours as they responded to 'concern for a person' in the area.
A stretch of the motorway was closed in both directions between Junction 3a, beside the Lothian town of Bathgate, south of Edinburgh, and Junction 4a at Whitburn. Roads into Bathgate were also been closed off while officers attended the incident, which started at around 11.25am and was brought to an end 2.45pm.
The response was understood to relate to concern for a person on the carriageway. Traffic data on Google Maps suggested that tailbacks more than two miles long built on the westbound carriageway, which was the focus of police attention.
An eyewitness told the Record: "I was westbound and three police cars lights flashing went by and [the road was] coned off. I went off at Bathgate and back on at Whitburn and saw the other side at a standstill."
Some motorists appeared to try to beat the traffic by driving on the hard shoulder - despite the lane being used by emergency services responding to the incident. Another driver said: "I've been sat here for about 30 minutes. Crazy idiots all have the hard shoulder blocked - now they're all trying to cut off the motorway."
Police Scotland said on social media: "Due to a police incident the M8 is currently closed westbound at Junction 3a. Blackburn Road into Bathgate is also closed."
A spokesperson for the force told the Record: “Following a report of concern for person the M8 was closed in both directions around midday on Saturday 16 July 2022. The road was re-opened around 2.45pm.”
Road network monitor Traffic Scotland said on Twitter: "The M8 is currently CLOSED in both directions between J3A and J4 (Whitburn) due to an ongoing Police Incident. Police and TRISS [Trunk Road Incident Support Service] are assisting in moving traffic off the carriageway.
"Traffic still slow moving on approach, with around a 60 minute travel time on approach Westbound and 25 minutes for Eastbound."
It later advised: "The M8 has now RE-OPENED following an earlier Police incident. There are still significant delays to traffic in both directions, which should now clear as all lanes have re-opened."
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