AN investigation has been launched after engineers discovered part of a major new stretch of motorway is sinking.
A section of the overtaking lane on the M74 extension, which opened less than a year ago, has partially collapsed, leading to workers being ordered to carry out repairs this week.
Transport Scotland has launched an investigation after highway patrols discovered a dip in the road along a 20-foot stretch of the westbound carriageway taking motorists to the centre of Glasgow.
The fault is located on the overtaking lane shortly before the Polmadie slip road at Junction 1A.
Despite highway officials taking safety precautions, the national agency responsible for the country's roads last night denied the new motorway – built at a cost of £445 million – was sinking.
Officials insisted the "dip" was "normal" and claimed the results of routine monitoring indicated there would be no more "settlement" issues on other parts of the motorway once repairs were carried out in a few days.
A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland said: "Some settlement is to be expected in the first year and is entirely normal for a new road. We know about it and we put up precautionary signing to ensure drivers are aware of the dip in the surface.
"The cost of the repair work is the responsibility of the contractor under their five-year warranty agreement."
It is Scotland's most expensive road at £138.4m per mile.
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