Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, Keith Brown, has announced a phased opening of the new M8 starting on Sunday 23 April 2017 – five days ahead of schedule.
He said the landmark opening will complete the so-called ‘missing link’ between Glasgow and Edinburgh and upgrade the M8 with uninterrupted motorway.
The westbound carriageway will open to traffic on Sunday 23 April, followed by the eastbound carriageway seven days later.
Mr Brown, who made the announcement of the phased opening of the new M8 which runs from Newhouse to Baillieston during a site visit, said, “The new M8 will be a major milestone in what is a massive transport infrastructure project and I’m pleased to say the phased opening will start five days ahead of schedule.
“We are now close to seeing the culmination of three years of construction works and half a billion pounds worth of investment to improve this vital link between Scotland’s biggest cities.
“This investment will make a tangible difference to our economy, improving business links and connectivity, as well as reducing journey times for road users who rely on this route for part of their daily commutes”
Graeme Reid, Transport Scotland Project Manager for the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project, added, “While the full benefits of the new M8 will not be realised until completion of all junctions and project roads, commuters between Edinburgh and Glasgow should experience a vast improvement to their journeys between Newhouse and Baillieston Interchange.
“When the new M8 opens, pressure on the A8 will ease, allowing the contractor to focus on completing the upgrade of the existing A8 and linking it to the new all-purpose road, which is a continuation of the A8 at Eurocentral.
Click to see striking fly-through video footage of the new motorway.