Midlothian drivers face a new junction traffic trial

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-13 18:04 Updated: 17:58 3 min read

Traffic light signals at a highway construction zone with trees in the background.

Drivers using Lothianburn Junction near Hillend will see temporary lane changes and new road markings as Transport Scotland begins a trial intended to reduce congestion around the A702 and A720 Edinburgh City Bypass.

BEAR Scotland will install the measures overnight on Sunday 9 August, with the A702 and all Lothianburn slip roads closing between 8pm and 6am. The changes are aimed particularly at the eastbound A720 off-slip, where peak-time queues have grown following earlier safety work on the A702.

Overnight closure and diversion routes

When	Affected routes
Sunday 9 August, 8pm–6am	A702 closed between Fairmilehead Junction and Bush Loan Road; all A720 slip roads at Lothianburn Junction closed.

Northbound A702 traffic will be sent via Bush Loan Road and the A701 to Straiton Junction. From there, drivers can join the A720 or continue via Burdiehouse Road and Frogston Road East to return to the A702 at Fairmilehead.

Southbound A702 traffic will use Frogston Road East and Burdiehouse Road to Straiton Junction, then either join the A720 eastbound or continue on the A701 via Gowkley Moss Roundabout and Bush Loan Road.

Drivers heading for the A720 westbound will be diverted from Fairmilehead through Oxgangs Road, Redford Road and the Dreghorn Link. A720 traffic for the A702 will be directed via Dreghorn Junction for northbound journeys and via Straiton Junction, the A701 and Bush Loan Road for southbound journeys.

New lane layout around Lothianburn Junction

The trial focuses on driver behaviour at the two roundabouts either side of the Edinburgh City Bypass. Directional lane markings on the A720 and A702 will be altered, while cones will temporarily restrict parts of the circulatory carriageway.

On the northern roundabout, the layout is intended to keep traffic joining the eastbound A720 on-slip in the correct lane. A section of the roundabout will be closed to prevent drivers making full 360-degree turns — known as “sling shot” manoeuvres — to bypass the southbound queue.

On the southern roundabout, cones will close a section after the A702 southbound exit. The aim is to curb cutting in and improve lane discipline. New box-junction markings will also be placed at the entrance to the Midlothian Snowsports Centre, where turning traffic can affect movement through the junction.

Midlothian drivers face a new junction traffic trial

Why the traffic trial is being introduced

Transport Scotland, BEAR Scotland, Midlothian Council and the City of Edinburgh Council developed the plans after reviewing traffic conditions following the installation of two sets of traffic lights on the A702 last year.

Those signals addressed safety concerns at the A703 and Old Pentland Road junctions, according to BEAR Scotland. But subsequent surveys found that southbound A702 journey times had increased, while changing driver behaviour contributed to longer queues at the Lothianburn eastbound A720 off-slip during busy periods.

The new layout is a trial rather than a permanent redesign. That means the restrictions and markings are being tested against existing traffic patterns, with particular attention on whether they reduce queue-jumping without creating delays elsewhere on the network.

Monitoring will decide whether changes stay

BEAR Scotland says it will monitor journey times, queue lengths, traffic movements and driver behaviour after the measures are installed. The results will be compared with previous surveys to judge whether the trial has improved traffic flow.

If the monitoring shows a positive effect, the changes could become permanent. BEAR Scotland says further improvements may also be considered if the trial shows more action is needed at Lothianburn Junction.

Drivers travelling during the overnight works can check Traffic Scotland’s real-time journey information before setting out.

Source: Midlothian Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check How this update was checked

This report uses the council-published notice describing BEAR Scotland’s trial measures, closure times and diversion routes.

Checks

Confirmed the overnight closure window and roads affected.
Checked the planned lane, cone and box-junction changes at both roundabouts.
Checked the stated reasons for the trial and the monitoring measures planned afterward.

Midlothian Council traffic update Check related traffic coverage