• Overnight works commence Friday 4 March 2022

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 4 March.

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 20:30 on the nights of 4, 5 and 6 March. On Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 the closure will remain in place until 11:00 to allow for the new road surfacing material to cool. On these days, a 50mph temporary speed restriction will also be in force from 11:00 to 20:30, as traffic will be travelling over a temporary road surface. On the morning of Monday 7 the closure will be removed by 06:00.

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

Consultation has taken place with relevant stakeholders in advance of these works to make them aware of the traffic management arrangements and to minimise any inconvenience.

Materials removed from the existing carriageway will be recycled using SEPA approved methods.

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.”

Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website www.trafficscotland.org for up-to-date travel information.