Edinburgh Bypass closures: Drivers to face disruption on A720 between Lothianburn and Straiton junctions

Overnight works to renew the road surface on a section of the eastbound carriageway of the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass between Lothianburn to Straiton are set to begin next weekend.

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 8:30pm on the nights of 6, 7 and 8 May. On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May the closure will remain in place until 11am to allow for the new road surface time to cool. On the morning of Monday 9 May, the closure will be removed by 6am.

During these overnight 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.

On Saturday 7 May and Sunday 8 May between the hours of 11am to 8:30pm the closure will be removed, however a 50mph temporary speed restriction will remain in place, as traffic will be travelling over a temporary road surface.

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.

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

“It is essential for safety that we close the carriageway during these works, however we’ve scheduled them to be carried out primarily during overnight hours to minimise any disruption.”