Edinburgh City Bypass: Closures due on A720 bypass as £1 million restoration work set to commence

A £1m project to upgrade safety barriers on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass is set to begin in just over a week.

The work on the bypass will begin on Sunday March 21 and will lead to overnight carriageway closures (Photo: Ian Georgeson).

The work will begin on Sunday March 21 for seven weeks and will lead to overnight carriageway closures from 8.30pm to 6am.

The works will see road maintenance firm BEAR Scotland replace three kilometres of steel barrier in the central reservation between Calder Junction and Dreghorn Junction.

A reinforced concrete impact protection will also be installed around the piers of four bridges spanning this section of the bypass.

To ensure the safety of roadworkers and the travelling public, the westbound carriageway of the A720 between Dreghorn Junction and Calder Junction will be closed between 8pm to 6am each night from Sunday March 21 until Wednesday May 12.

A single lane closure will also be in place on the eastbound carriageway at these times.

A diversion route for westbound traffic will be signposted from Dreghorn Junction to Calder Junction, via Redford Road, Gillespie Road, Wester Hailes Road and Calder Road.

This will add approximately 0.5 miles and 7 minutes to affected journeys.

A shorter diversion will be in place between Baberton Junction and Calder Junction, via Wester Hailes Road and Calder Road only from the night of April 15 onwards.

On certain nights, the closure will be swapped halfway through the night to an eastbound total closure and westbound single lane closure for “operational reasons”.

Strict physical distancing protocols, in line with Scottish Government guidance, will be in place to protect teams and ensure they remain safe on site.

Consultation has been carried out with emergency services and other stakeholders to make them aware of the plans and share information about the project in advance.

Tommy Deans, BEAR Scotland’s South East Network Manager, said: “These barrier upgrades will significantly improve safety for motorists using the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass

“As we will be working in the central reservation it is essential that we close lanes on either side to provide safe access, however we’ll do all we can to complete these works as quickly and safely as possible.

“We thank road users and the local community in advance for their patience while we carry out this essential project.”

Real time journey information is available from Traffic Scotland’s website or on Twitter at @trafficscotland.

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