Repair and construction information regarding the M8: EIR release

Information requested

"Information regarding the M8.

Specifically,

1. Could you confirm how much has been spent on repairs to the M8 in the last 20 years, broken down by year?
2. Could you provide the estimated cost for the repairs to the Woodside Viaduct as well as what has already been paid?
3. Could you confirm the current estimate for the length of closure for the Woodside Viaduct?
4. Could you confirm whether alternatives to repair have been considered for the Woodside Viaduct and any other areas of the M8 within Glasgow boundaries?"

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

To aide with my response I have retained the numbering from your request above:

1. Please see the following table for details of maintenance spend by our Operating Companies on the M8 Trunk Road for the Financial Years 2007/08 until 2021/22 (Up to the end of February 2022). These figures include routine maintenance (surface patching, grass cutting, gully cleaning), structural maintenance (resurfacing), bridges (parapet replacement, painting, bridge repairs/strengthening) and minor improvements. These do not include for major project improvements, such as the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements, which are out with our maintenance contracts.

Year	M8 Total Spend
2007/08	£13,792,040
2008/09	£17,732,399
2009/10	£17,263,989
2010/11	£12,938,570
2011/12	£8,587,775
2012/13	£10,423,339
2013/14	£8,088,710
2014/15	£12,656,019
2015/16	£11,647,244
2016/17	£10,984,883
2017/18	£17,028,450
2018/19	£18,850,664
2019/20	£13,177,953
2020/21	£16,394,447
2021/22*	£28,221,196
Total	£217,787,677

*Up to End of Feb 2022

Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not have. We do not have some of the information you have requested because our records of M8 maintenance spend only go back as far as FY 2007/08. Also, at the moment we are waiting on our Operating Companies submitting their March 2022 statements so are only able to provide up to the end of February on the 2021/22 financial year.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about maintenance spend on the M8 trunk road, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

2. There has been £265,352.87 spent on repairs. The propping has to be in place before the repairs are undertaken at most areas. A repair trial will commence this summer and that will inform the estimated cost for repairs.

3. It is currently anticipated that temporary propping works will be completed in Autumn 2023, with permanent repairs commencing this summer. Further detail on the project, including an extensive FAQ, can be found on the Traffic Scotland website at https://trafficscotland.org/tsgms02/tsgms02d01.

4. There are no alternatives to repair as the M8 is required to continue to operate as the main strategic motorway in central Scotland and there are no suitable alternative traffic routes to carry the volume of M8 traffic in the Woodside area.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.