Temporary repairs to the crumbling Woodside viaducts on the M8 motorway through Glasgow have no fixed end date, with transport bosses admitting it is impossible to say when they will finish. The works, originally scheduled for completion in 2023 at a cost of £34m, have already lasted more than five years and cost taxpayers £125m.
The motorway between Charing Cross and Cowcaddens suffers frequent tailbacks due to lane and junction closures as workers stabilise the 50-year-old concrete structures, which opened in 1971.
No End Date for M8 Repairs
Transport Scotland had hoped the works would be finished by the second half of 2027, but in a Freedom of Information response this week the Scottish Government refused to guarantee that date. The response stated: "It's not possible to give a precise date as there are many factors influencing completion of a complex construction project."
The government now estimates the final bill will be between £126m and £152m.
MSP Calls Viaducts 'Colossal Financial Drain'
Labour MSP Paul Sweeney described the repairs as "a colossal financial drain on the public finances" and branded the viaducts an "obsolete 1970s eyesore." He said: "What started as temporary propping works has spiraled due to the complexity of straddling major utilities and the Subway tunnels, with costs escalating to upwards of £152 million and the completion date delayed until the second half of 2027."
Sweeney called for the viaducts to be replaced with a surface-level urban boulevard, citing examples in San Francisco and New York where elevated highways were removed.
Political Criticism Over Mismanagement
Councillor John Daly, representing Baillieston, said: "These revelations are further damning evidence of the SNP's incompetence and economic mismanagement when it comes to major transport projects." He called on new transport secretary Stephen Flynn to confirm the final cost and completion date.
Long-Term Solution Still Undecided
The current repairs are only temporary. Glasgow City Council has said it favours demolishing the viaducts, noting the M8 "detrimentally impacted the urban fabric of our communities." Transport Scotland will ultimately decide whether to continue repairs, replace the structures, or remove them entirely.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "The date for completing the temporary propping to the Woodside viaducts and removing traffic management from the eastbound carriageway is scheduled for Autumn 2026, with the westbound carriageway scheduled for the second half of 2027. Once complete, the stretch of motorway at Woodside will return to four lanes of traffic in both directions." He added that work is underway to determine a permanent solution, with timescales and costs to be determined later.
