Last verified update: Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 09:05 GMT (London, UTC+00:00).
The A720 Edinburgh City Bypass has been closed in both directions between Dreghorn Junction and Hermiston Gait following a severe collision late Wednesday evening, triggering miles of gridlock and critical commuter delays across east-central Scotland this morning. Traffic Scotland and Police Scotland have confirmed the complete closure of the trunk route to allow crash investigation units to complete on-scene forensic assessments. The disruption has paralyzed key arterial corridors, backing up traffic across the M8, M9, and connecting commuter arteries heading into Edinburgh.
Transportation authorities are urging motorists across Edinburgh, the Lothians, and Fife to defer non-essential journeys or seek alternative routes. Surrounding secondary routes through Baberton, Clovenstone, Colinton, and Longstone are currently saturated, with peak-period transit times extending up to 60 to 90 minutes beyond typical schedules. Traffic monitoring feeds show queues trailing back to junction 2 on the M8 eastbound and heavy congestion snaking along the A70 and A71.
According to updates released by Police Scotland and corroborated by live incident tracking from Traffic Scotland, emergency services were dispatched to the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass near Clovenstone and Baberton at approximately 8:55 PM on Wednesday, November 11, 2026. The collision involved multiple vehicles and prompted an immediate response from Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Due to the severity of the impact, specialist collision investigation units were deployed overnight. Standard operational protocol for major highway incidents in Scotland mandates a total road closure while investigators map the scene, collect forensic physical evidence, and clear vehicle debris. Because the incident scene spans multiple lanes across the carriageway, the decision was made to halt traffic in both eastbound and westbound directions between Dreghorn and Hermiston Gait to preserve public safety and forensic integrity.
The closure of one of Scotland's most heavily traversed bypasses has displaced tens of thousands of peak-time vehicles onto urban bypass lanes and residential roads. Real-time sensor data from Traffic Scotland highlights severe delays across several key arteries:
Traffic Scotland has activated strategic variable message signs across the national motorway network, alerting drivers on the M90, M8, and M9 before they reach Edinburgh outer limits. Motorists already en route are advised to follow the official signed diversions:
Transport officials strongly recommend that road users consult the Traffic Scotland website and monitor official social feeds (@trafficscotland) prior to travel. Where possible, commuters are encouraged to work remotely or utilize ScotRail passenger rail services, which are operating normal timetables between Glasgow, West Lothian, and Edinburgh Waverley.
No. As of Thursday morning, November 12, 2026, the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass remains completely closed in both directions between Hermiston Gait and Dreghorn Junction due to ongoing police investigation work.
Police Scotland and Traffic Scotland have not announced an official reopening time. Authorities noted the bypass will remain closed for a number of hours until forensic collision investigation and vehicle recovery are completed.
Motorists traveling across the central belt should consider remaining on the M9/M90 network or diverting north toward Queensferry rather than using the southern bypass. For local journeys, the A71 Calder Road and city ring connections provide signed diversions, though drivers should budget substantial extra travel time.
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