Publication - FOI/EIR release

M8 westbound carriageway/after Junction 20 inspection and maintenance records: EIR release

Published: 7 May 2026
Topic: Public sector, Transport
FOI reference: FOI/202600513835
Date received: 5 April 2026
Date responded: 15 April 2026

Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Information requested

I request the following environmental information under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 in relation to the M8 westbound carriageway shortly after Junction 20, at or around What3Words location ///driven.cult.early.

I have highlighted the specific area of interest on the attached map in a red circle. If you are unable to precisely identify the location, please contact me for clarification rather than refusing the request.

Time period: 1 June 2024 to 1 March 2026.

Please provide:

1. Inspection records

Dates and types of all safety inspections carried out on this section of carriageway
Any inspection reports, notes, or defect logs generated

2. Defect reports

All records of defects identified in this area, including potholes or carriageway deterioration
Dates of identification and classification (including severity/category)

3. Repair and maintenance records

Details of any repairs undertaken (including patching, resurfacing, or temporary works) Dates works were instructed and completed
Any follow-up or repeat repairs

4. Complaints and third-party reports

Any reports from members of the public or other parties relating to defects at this location

5. Policies and standards

The inspection frequency and defect response standards applicable to this section of the M8 during the relevant period
Any applicable defect intervention criteria

6. Contractor performance / oversight

Any performance reports, audits, or correspondence relating to the condition or maintenance of this section of road

7. Road markings

Records relating to reinstatement (or lack thereof) of road markings following repairs in this area

Please include information held by your contractors on your behalf, including but not limited to Amey. Context (for assistance in locating information):
Publicly available imagery (i.e. Google Earth and Google Street View) indicates that:

patch repairs were present in June 2024
the repaired area had expanded by October 2024
by July 2025 there are visible signs of deterioration
road markings do not appear to have been reinstated
it does not appear that any permanent repairs have been completed in over 18 months

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.

Response to your request

1. Inspection records 1 June 2024 to 1 March 2026. You requested dates and types of all safety inspections carried out on this section of carriageway and any inspection reports, notes, or defect logs generated.

Please see Annex A to this response for details of Inspections.

2. Defect reports. You requested all records of defects identified in this area, including potholes or carriageway deterioration and dates of identification and classification (including severity/category.

Please see Annex B to this response for defects identified, the date and classification.

3. Repair and maintenance records. You requested details of any repairs undertaken (including patching, resurfacing, or temporary works, dates works were instructed and completed and any follow- up or repeat repairs.

Please see Annex B to this response for repair and maintenance information.

4. Complaints and third-party reports. You requested details of any reports from members of the public or other parties relating to defects at this location.

Our Operating Company, Amey advise that no complaints or enquiries have been recorded, they further advise that defects would generally be logged as an incident.

Please see Annex C to this response for details of reported incidents.

5. Policies and standards. You requested the inspection frequency and defect response standards applicable to this section of the M8 during the relevant period and any applicable defect intervention criteria.

Safety inspections are carried out every 7 days and Safety Patrols are carried out at the midpoint of each safety inspection.

Please see Annex D to this response for a copy of the Trunk Road Information Manual (TRIM) which sets out Transport Scotland's asset data requirements and inspection and maintenance requirements this includes the Intervention criteria.

6. Contractor performance / oversight. You requested any performance reports, audits, or correspondence relating to the condition or maintenance of this section of road.

The Performance Audit Group (PAG) provides services to audit, monitor and report on the performance of the Operating Companies contracted to manage and maintain Scotland’s trunk roads. You can access information including current and archived annual reports on their website here Performance Audit Group

7. Road markings. You requested records relating to reinstatement (or lack thereof) of road markings following repairs in this area.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested. Therefore we are refusing your request under the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs. Transport Scotland does not have this information because Amey do not have any information recorded on reinstatement (or lack thereof) of road markings following repairs in this area.

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 reinstatement of road markings, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

About FOI

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