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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Kris Gourlay

M8 West Lothian closed as hay bales strewn across motorway cause huge delays

West Lothian M8 drivers are facing huge tailbacks approaching rush hour on Thursday after several hay bales have fallen off a lorry and onto the motorway.

A section of the westbound carriageway near Bathgate is currently closed due to the incident, with police and TRISS present at the scene.

Traffic Scotland alerted road users that traffic is heavy in the area and motorists should approach with care. A traffic camera image from the motorway shows hay strewn across the busy road as rush hour approaches on Thursday, September 1.

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They tweeted: "NEW: 15:37 M8 Junction 3A-4 The Westbound carriageway is currently restricted due to hay bales on the carriageway. Police and TRISS are en-route. Traffic is heavy in the area. Take care on approach."

The incident is understood to have occurred between junctions 3A-4, with a previous road camera image showing huge tailbacks starting to form on the road between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Although the images are faint, they appear to show large bundles of hay lying across the majority of the two lanes, with traffic having to slow and approach with caution to evade the mess.

It is currently unknown how long delays can be expected or what caused the initial incident.

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