The UK's longest roadworks that still won't be complete after 7 years and £152m

Roadworks on a motorway in Scotland will continue for at least two more years, despite being due to be completed in 2023. Construction work on the M8 motorway in Glasgow began in 2021, when work was started to repair the crumbling concrete structures that hold up the Woodside Viaduct.

However, several lanes and junctions have now been closed for more than four years, creating a pinch point that causes long tailbacks at busy times. The project, which was set to take just over two years, is now expected to continue until the second half of 2027. Transport Scotland said it was working with contractors Amey to finish the job "as quickly and safely as possible".

Director of major projects Lawrence Shackman said: "The project has been continuously hampered by inaccurate records of utility apparatus as well as the recent discovery of an uncharted sewer buried deep underground leading to delays and additional work.

"Amey continues to face significant challenges, and the latest information now indicates an anticipated date for full completion of the work allowing traffic management to be removed in the second half of 2027.

Due to the nature of the work, they are continuing to work towards opening the eastbound carriageway in autumn 2026."

The works are expected to cost up to £152million, although the cost projections are understood to be under revision due to some of the recent problems. And this doesn't include any knock-on effect on the city's economy.

The UK's longest running major roadworks are believed to be on the A12 in Essex, where work on the Woodend Bridge began in 2015 and have continued ever since. They have even made it on to TripAdvisor's list of the top attractions in Witham, with fans declaring them a "national treasure".

In Glasgow, some of the lane closures were actually put in place in 2020 after an inspection found "structural deterioration" in the crosshead beams beneath the motorway, which carries 150,000 cars a day.

One frustrated comment on the Glasgow Bell website reads: "These works are taking longer than it took to build that section of the M8 from scratch! I get the feeling that, along with many other capital projects, e.g. HS2, there seems little incentive for the contractors to finish. Let the gravy train continue. Let's face it, the site is hardly a hive of industry."