A £152m megaproject which has caused traffic chaos on a major motorway in Glasgow could come to a close as early as Summer 2025.
Essential repairs on the M8 Woodside Viaducts have caused lane closures since 2021 on a vital element of the motorway between junctions 16 and 17, which serves 150,000 per day.
Temporary propping works are currently being undertaken which will allow the traffic restrictions to be lifted and allow more extensive repairs to be undertaken to the crossheads.
Once the structure is fully propped, lane restrictions on the M8 can be removed which the construction programme expects to happen eastbound in Summer 2025, and westbound in early 2026.
Transport Scotland acknowledge the disruption to the public, while reiterating the need to complete the works safely and as quickly as possible.
Transport Scotland’s director of major projects, Lawrence Shackman said: “Our principal contractor, Amey, has been delivering this highly complex work on behalf of Transport Scotland while ensuring this busy section of the M8 motorway remains open.
“The ongoing temporary propping works are challenging due to the varying ground conditions and site constraints, including the presence of a plethora of public utilities as well as the Glasgow subway underground tunnels.
“Once the structure is fully propped, lane restrictions on the M8 can be removed.”
Ahead of planned refurbishment work, inspections of the supports in 2020 and 2021 revealed the viaducts’ crossheads were in a much worse condition than anticipated, and costs are now predicted between £126-£152 million.
The necessary work led to temporary traffic management, lane closures and slip road restrictions in March 2021 to reduce the traffic load on the viaducts.
Amey, on behalf of Transport Scotland, is undertaking the work located between Junctions 16 and 17 in central Glasgow.
