Overnight Edinburgh bypass works commence next Friday

Overnight works to renew the road surface on a section of the eastbound carriageway of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass from Lothianburn to Straiton are set to begin on Friday, March 4.

Transport Scotland’s operating company BEAR Scotland will carry out the project over three nights.

For the safety of workers and road users, the eastbound A720 will be closed between Lothianburn junction and Straiton junction from 8pm on March 4, 5 and 6. On Saturday and Sunday a 50mph temporary speed restriction will also be in force from 11am to 8.30pm . On the morning of Monday, March 7 the closure will be removed by 6am.

During these closures, a diversion route will be signposted for eastbound traffic via the A702, B701 and A701. This diversion will add an estimated 10 minutes and 2.5 miles to affected journeys.

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South East Network Manager, said: “These surfacing improvements on the A720 from Lothianburn to Straiton will address and repair defects in the road surface such as potholes and cracks, creating safer and smoother journeys for motorists.

“We have scheduled these works overnight as far as possible to minimise disruption, however the eastbound carriageway will remain closed until 11am on Saturday and Sunday while the new road surface cools, so I’d advise motorists to plan ahead and allow extra time for their journey if they do need to travel at that time.

“We thank road users in advance for their patience while our teams carry out these improvements.”