M8 Junctions 5-6 | Major Weekend Bridge Works
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CORRECTION (03/10/24): There will be no overnight carriageway closure on the night of Sunday 13 October – only the contraflow arrangement that will be in place from 20:00 on Friday 11 October to 06:00 on Monday 14 October.
Overnight carriageway closures will go ahead on the nights of 10 and 17 October.
Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland is set to refurbish and re-waterproof the deck on Longacre Bridge, which carries the motorway over Craigens Road between Junctions 5 and 6.
The M8 will be reduced to a single lane in each direction over three weekends during the works. Traffic will be managed under a contraflow system between Junctions 5 and 6 between the hours of 20:30 on Friday to 06:00 on Monday on:
- Friday 11 to Monday 14 October
- Friday 18 to Monday 21 October
- Friday 25 to Monday 28 October.
In addition, the eastbound on-slip at Junction 6 Newhouse will be closed during the same periods, with traffic directed to follow the A73 southbound, the B7066 eastbound and the B7057 northbound, to join the M8 at Junction 5 Shotts Interchange.
Overnight lane and carriageway closures are planned on the M8 between Junctions 5 and 6, to set up traffic management for weekend bridge works.
Lane closures will be in place in both directions between 20:00 and 06:00 on the night of Wednesday 8 October.
On the nights of Thursday 10 and Sunday 13 October between 20:00 and 06:00, the eastbound carriageway will be closed between Junctions 6 and 5, with traffic directed to follow the A73 southbound, the B7066 eastbound and the B7057 northbound, to join the M8 at Junction 5 Shotts.
On the night of Thursday 17 October between 20:00 and 06:00, the westbound carriageway will be closed to traffic between Junctions 5 and 6, with traffic directed to follow B7066 westbound and the A73 northbound, to join the M8 at Junction 6 Newhouse.
These diversions will add approximately 1 mile and 5 minutes to affected journeys.
The works form part of a major project by Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland to refurbish Longacre Bridge, which carries the M8 motorway over Craigens Road between Junctions 5 and 6. Traffic on the M8 will be restricted to a single lane in each direction between Junctions 5 and 6 on the weekends of 11, 18 and 25 October.
David Bishop, BEAR Scotland’s South East Unit Bridges Manager, said: “This project is essential to ensuring that this motorway structure continues to provide a safe and reliable service for years to come.
“We thank motorists for their patience and understanding and recommend that they check the latest travel updates, plan ahead and allow extra travel time for their journeys during these works.”
All work is weather dependent and subject to postponement or cancellation in the event of adverse conditions.
How to get the latest travel and traffic information
For full information on roadworks on trunk roads in the north-west and south-east of Scotland, visit the Bear Scotland website.
You can report a defect on the network by filling out this form.
Follow Bear Scotland on Twitter at @bear_scotland and at @SETrunkRoads.