The council and NHS Lanarkshire will submit a planning application in early 2026 for sections of link road that will advance the delivery of the East Airdrie Link Road and also give a second access to the new University Hospital Monklands at Wester Moffat, Airdrie.
This application will cover an important part of the East Airdrie Link Road (EALR), from the hospital to the A89 Forrest Street and will include the new Towers Road link connection.
The link will provide additional direct local traffic and active travel connections to the hospital and local road network. It incorporates a new signalised roundabout at the junction of Towers Road/Varnsdorf Way and bridges over the North Calder Water and the railway.
It will improve the local road network and access to the new hospital as well as strengthen its connection to the surrounding community.
A second planning application will then be submitted in Spring 2026 by the council for the full East Airdrie Link Road, a single-carriageway road, from just north of the M8, at the A73 Newhouse Interchange, to the A73 north of Stand and Riggend.
Submitting the plans for the East Airdrie Link Road in separate applications will enable the council and NHS Lanarkshire to progress the road and hospital projects in tandem. If approved, this will allow an earlier delivery of this section of the Link Road.
The two planning applications will mark a key milestone in the delivery of EALR and its support of the Monklands Replacement Project.
The council and NHS Lanarkshire have been working together to maximise the economic benefits of both projects through employment, training and local supply chain opportunities.
The council is leading the development of the East Airdrie Link Road as part of the Glasgow City Region City Deal.