BEAR Scotland has announced a major programme of coordinated works to refurbish a bridge carrying a slip road and renew the road surface on the motorway at M8 Junction 3, Livingston, due to commence on Monday 13 February.

A £1.4m upgrade of the reinforced concrete bridge that carries the eastbound slip road off the M8 at Junction 3 began with preparatory works earlier this month (Jan) and now requires the extended closure of the slip road for approximately five months to upgrade the bridge in line with current standards, ensuring its long-term use and continued safety for road users.

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 20:00 and 06:00 on the nights of Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 March, then the A899 southbound carriageway will be closed on the nights of Friday 10 and Monday 13 March.

A £465k programme of overnight resurfacing on the eastbound carriageway of the M8 is also scheduled to begin on Monday 6 March 2023. These works will take place between 20:30 and 06:00 over five nights, concluding on the morning of Saturday 11 March 2023.

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.

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Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland's South East Network Manager, said: "This programme of improvements represents a major investment by Transport Scotland to refurbish and upgrade the trunk road network around Livingston.

"We've coordinated the works to minimise the overall impact on road users and local communities.

"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.

"Surfacing improvements on the eastbound M8 will address areas of deteriorated carriageway over 1.3 kilometres of the motorway, creating smoother and safer journeys for road users. These works will also see the renewal of all road markings and studs, providing a higher retro-reflectivity and improving the visibility of lane delineations.

"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."

Preparatory works for the bridge refurbishment project have been under way since early January, including surveys and trial pits. These works were possible using lane closures only.

Once the bridge scaffold is in place and the slip road closed, the core elements of the project will get under way. These include replacement of defective concrete along the edge of the structure, extensive concrete repairs to supporting piers, abutments and the underside of the deck, installation of a cathodic protection system, replacement of leaking joints, and installation of new parapets to current standards.

These works will reduce the need for future refurbishment and associated disruption on this scale again.

BEAR Scotland has liaised closely with West Lothian Council and other key stakeholders in the planning of the bridge refurbishment. BEAR also visited a number of local businesses and organisations and shared information about the works and liaised directly with the likes of the Livingston Designer Outlet. Up-to-date project information is available on the BEAR Scotland website here. The local community will be kept informed on the progress of the project. An education outreach programme with local schools is also under way.

BEAR Scotland is leading this project as part of its responsibility for the South East Trunk Road Network on behalf of Transport Scotland. Specialist contractor Freyssinet is responsible for the delivery of key elements of the project, including the concrete refurbishment and the cathodic protection.

Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website www.traffic.gov.scot for up-to-date travel information and allowing extra time for their journey.