GLASGOW'S missing link between the M74 and the M8 at the Kingston Bridge is halfway to being bridged after another weekend of painstaking work.

GLASGOW'S missing link between the M74 and the M8 at the Kingston Bridge is halfway to being bridged after another weekend of painstaking work.

And by this weekend the gap will be gone.

The current round of work on the extension has seen four out of eight massive steel beams lifted into place over the M8 by Europe's largest mobile crane.

The steel beams are part of sections of bridging that will carry the M74 over the M8.

The crane lifted the beams in the early hours of the weekend to minimise disruption on the motorway.

The beams will join up a series of three support piers and two abutments already in place to take the M74 sweeping over the M8 - the missing link - on to the newly- constructed slip roads.

Four more beams will be lifted into place this weekend.

But drivers are again being warned that means sections of the M8 will be closed this weekend, just south of the Kingston Bridge.

The westbound carriageway will be closed on Saturday, as will the outside lane of the eastbound carriageway.

The Carnoustie Street westbound on-ramp and Carnoustie Street itself will remain closed until August 14.

Polmadie Road will also be closed at the junction of New Rutherglen Road until August 17, with diversions signposted.

The eastbound Paisley Road off-ramp is also expected to remain closed until Friday.

The total cost of the work is estimated at £445million and it is scheduled to open in 2011.

Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "The M74 project is providing vital jobs and investment to the hard-pressed construction industry.

"Once complete, the M74 missing link will provide improved access to economic, employment and education opportunities for the people of Scotland."