M8 Junction 3A and 4A | Major Bridge Works

Motorists using the M8 in West Lothian on the weekends of 8-11 May and 15-18 May are advised to expect long delays and consider alternative routes, with BEAR Scotland planning major refurbishment works on a bridge carrying the motorway over the River Almond near Whitburn.

A contraflow will be in place on the M8 between Junctions 3A and 4A on each of these weekends, with traffic restricted to a single lane in both directions between 20:30 on Friday evening and 06:00 on Monday morning. A reduced speed limit of 40mph will be in force.

During the weekend contraflow of 8-11 May, the M8 Junction 4 eastbound off-slip will be closed.

During the weekend contraflow of 15-18 May, the M8 Junction 4 westbound on-slip and off-slip will be closed.

If weekend works have to be postponed due to poor weather, the planned contraflow and slip road closures will take place on the weekend of 5-8 June instead.

David Bishop, BEAR Scotland’s South East Unit Bridges Manager, said: “The project to refurbish and re-waterproof this bridge is essential to ensuring that it continues to provide a safe and reliable service for years to come. This should reduce the need for reactive closures of the M8 to repair defects caused by underlying bridge deck issues.

“The full extent of concrete repairs required will not be known until the existing surfacing is removed, however every effort will be made to ensure that the M8 is fully open to traffic each Monday morning at the end of the weekend working.

“These works are also weather dependent and so could be postponed and rearranged at short notice depending on weather forecasts.

“We thank motorists in advance for their patience and understanding. Our advice is to check the latest travel updates, allow extra travel time for journeys, and consider using alternative routes during weekend contraflows.”

Consultation has been carried out with emergency services and other relevant stakeholders to share information about this project in advance.