Monday October 20th 2025
Van crash at accident blackspot
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
West Lothian villagers have been promised more signage at a dangerous accident blackspot bridge ahead of the winter months.
But a promised resurfacing of the road through Harburn will have to wait to combine with other improvement schemes of the rural road.
Local community councillor Allan McLaughlan said villagers were grateful for the work already done and the drop in accidents.
Kenneth Brown the council’s Roads network Manager told a meeting of the Fauldhouse and the Breich Valley Local Area Committee that anti skid resurfacing planned for both sides of the approach to the railway bridge had been combined with another plan to resurface the road from the edge of West Calder up the crossroads of the C19 road where the Dog’s Trust is located.
This will minimise the amount of time the road is closed as the work is carried out by the same contractor.
Mr Brown added: “Some improvement works including new road markings and an adjustment to make signage more visible is now complete” at the bridge.
Villagers had to deal with a spate of accidents at the bridge a humped back bridge with a near 90 degree turn on its southern side.
Last year saw motorists hit the crash barriers on the southern side or career down an embankment on the northern side.
Another driver, from the Midlands, sailed over the top of the crash barrier in his Transit van and landed in the field. Some were hospitalised but no-one was badly injured.
Villagers told the Local Democracy Reporting service that they have had to tackle a round a dozen accidents in Harburn over the year as many drivers unfamiliar with the blind bend and narrow railway bridge came to grief in accidents, ploughing off the road.
The narrow winding B7008 road has become much busier in recent years. Some now believe that in-car satnav systems direct drivers along the road as a shortcut to the A70- Lang Whang road- from Livingston because, for most of its length, it carries the 60 mph national speed limit.
Speaking at this month’s local area committee Mr McLaughlan: “I’m very grateful on behalf of the community for the work that was done following the spate of accidents we had last year. Two specific things were promised, high visibly yellow background to the speed limit signs and an anti skid surface.
“We have had a good summer but, as the saying goes, the nights are drawing in and visibility is going to be reduced. It would be beneficial to at least get the signs up.”
Mr Brown said that it made sense to include the resurfacing in with the wider improvement works in terms of having to close the road but officers could look at pulling forward the new signage for the bridge.
Chair of the committee, councillor Craig Meek said: “While the delay in getting the resurfacing work done is regrettable it makes sense to roll it into other work to avoid disruption but I’d appreciate it if we could look at bringing forward the signage at the very least. The village has been accident free, which I’m grateful for.”
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