The westbound carriageway of the M8 between Junctions 4A and 5 will be closed from 20:00 this evening until 06:00 on Wednesday morning, to allow Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland to carry out emergency repairs to a bridge over the motorway that was struck by an HGV earlier today.
Traffic on the westbound M8 has been restricted to a single lane between Junctions 4A and 5 since 13:40 this afternoon, as a safety precaution while engineers assessed the extent of damage to the bridge carrying the B718 local road over the motorway near Harthill Services.
During the westbound carriageway closure tonight, a signed diversion route will be in place between Junctions 4A and 5, via the A801, the A706, the B7066 through Harthill, and the B7057. This diversion will add an estimated 1.2 miles and 5 minutes to affected journeys.
Motorists are being warned to expect long delays on the westbound M8 on Wednesday morning, with traffic still likely to be restricted to a single lane.
The B718 local road over the bridge remains open under temporary traffic lights.
David Bishop, BEAR Scotland’s South East Bridges Manager, said: “This bridge over the M8 has been significantly damaged and needs to be made safe before the carriageway below can be fully reopened to traffic.
“Our team will be working through the night to carry out the necessary repairs and will do everything possible to get traffic flowing again as safely and quickly as possible.
“The carriageway will reopen at 6am, however it’s likely that a lane closure will still be in place while we complete repairs.
“Please expect long delays and avoid the route if you can. We’re grateful to road users for their patience and understanding.”
Live traffic information is available from Traffic Scotland at www.traffic.gov.scot or on X at @trafficscotland.
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