Edinburgh roads: Call for full review of Edinburgh City Bypass in wake of severe flooding

The Scottish Government has been urged to order a full review of Edinburgh City Bypass in the wake of last week’s extensive flooding.

Motorists were stranded in their vehicles after heavy rain hit the busy road last Thursday, forcing it to close in both directions.

Drivers were stranded in their vehicles on the Edinburgh City Bypass | Traffic Scotland

Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs said he had spoken to people with young children who were stuck on the bypass for hours. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament chamber, he said: “Edinburgh City Bypass has been desperate for investment for many years. I have raised the issue throughout my time as a member of this parliament.

“Sadly, we are seeing delay after delay to investment - for example, that is the case with the delivery of the new Sheriffhall junction. Will the Scottish Government undertake a full review of the bypass to look at the impact that such incidents are having and ensure that we get on and deliver the investment that Edinburgh needs?”

He spoke after Lothian Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury had asked what the Scottish Government was doing to increase resilience to flooding. Mr Choudhury said: “This is not the first time that there has been flooding on the Edinburgh City Bypass. It should be a high priority for flood protections.”

But he said a government consultation on the flood resilience strategy neglected the transport network. .”What risk assessment has the Scottish Government carried out? What investment will it make to ensure that our roads and railways are not closed and that people’s lives are not disrupted as we increasingly experience disruptive and damaging extreme weather?”

Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan expressed her sympathy for those impacted by the flooding. “Extreme weather events are increasing as a result of climate change, which is why improving flood resilience is a priority for the government,” she said.

Ms McAllan said Transport Scotland had worked with BEAR Scotland to deploy pumps to clear the carriageway of the bypass and Police Scotland had carried out welfare checks on people stuck in flooding, as well as ensuring that diversions were in place.

And she said investments were being made to build resilience to climate change in the transport network, including £2.5 million on 17 drainage improvement schemes and one watercourse realignment.

Christine Grahame, SN MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, said she was among those who got stuck on the bypass. “Going east to west from Sheriffhall, the first slip road off is to Penicuik, and it took me more than an hour to get there.”

And she asked: “Has any consideration been given to opening up the central crash barrier temporarily, stopping the west to east traffic and allowing those going in the opposite direction who are stuck to turn around and get off the bypass?”