M73works set to cause more delays

MOTORISTS have been warned of further motorway delays as work to improve the central belt’s road network trundles on.

The M73 northbound is to close from junction one Maryville to junction two Baillieston for a full weekend as part of the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project.

The stretch of road will be closed from 8pm tonight through to 6am on Monday for resurfacing works and the installation of motorway gantries.

As a result there will be no access from the M74 northbound to the M73 northbound from junction 4 Maryville.

Graeme Reid, the project sponsor for Transport Scotland said: “We recognise this closure will cause inconvenience and we thank road users for their patience while these essential works are undertaken.

“I would urge people to plan their journeys in advance, allow extra time and consult the Transport Scotland and Traffic Scotland websites for further information on traffic restrictions as part of the project.

“The good news is we are approaching the removal of restrictions from the motorway network and road users will begin to realise the full benefit this project will bring.”

There is already no access from the M74 southbound to the M73 northbound after the link road was closed on May 15 for around three weeks.

Signed diversions will be in place from M74 northbound or southbound to the M73 via junction 5 Raith, A725 northbound to Shawhead junction and A8 westbound to Bargeddie roundabout for access to Baillieston roundabout and M8 westbound or M73 northbound.

The work is part of what Transport Scotland describe as an “ambitious” project to upgrade the core of Scotland’s motorway network.

With the project announced in 2014 the £500 million project includes a new motorway between Baillieston and Newhouse, completing the M8; improvements to Raith Interchange on the M74 and a new, all-purpose A8 between Baillieston and Eurocentral.

The work also includes upgrading the existing M8 between Easterhouse and Baillieston, upgrading the M73 between Baillieston and Maryville that links the M8 and M74 and upgrading the M74 between Daldowie and Hamilton.

In February this year, the Raith underpass opened after three years of construction and at the beginning of April the “missing link” of the M8 opened to drivers almost a week ahead of schedule.

The new stretch of M8 claims to cut drivers’ commutes by 20 minutes.