Scottish Government Reaffirms Priority on Sheriffhall Roundabout Upgrade Amid Delays

Scotland’s Transport Secretary, Fiona Hyslop, has confirmed that a major upgrade of Edinburgh’s Sheriffhall Roundabout remains a priority, more than two years after a public inquiry report on the project was completed.

The planned ‘flyover’ aims to separate local traffic from motorway traffic, alleviating congestion at one of the region’s busiest junctions. Funding for the scheme comes from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, jointly supported by the UK and Scottish Governments. However, despite ministerial backing, the project has yet to receive formal approval, and no start date has been set.

Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs has called for a decision ahead of next May’s elections, warning: “Otherwise, it’s probably not going to happen. The government keeps saying it is committed to the project, but if they really wanted to get this moving forward they could have.”

The comments followed a parliamentary question from Midlothian North & Musselburgh SNP MSP Colin Beattie, who highlighted constituent concerns about the delay. He asked:

“Many of my constituents are growing increasingly concerned about the delay in the progress of the Sheriffhall interchange project. Will the cabinet secretary give my constituents any comfort regarding timelines for the delivery of the scheme?”

Hyslop responded:

“I reassure the member that the Scottish Government remains committed to delivering improvements at Sheriffhall. Although I cannot give a definitive timeline today, I assure him that ministers recognise it as a priority, and my officials are reviewing the reporter’s report, along with the considerable number of objections, to inform next steps.”

The Sheriffhall Roundabout upgrade continues to be closely watched by commuters and local officials, with attention now on whether approval and construction will progress before the next Scottish parliamentary elections.