Three times workmen have had to carry out repairs just yards from a Glasgow South Side slip road that takes motorists from Polmadie on to the motorway at Junction 1A.

The last repair involved remedial work to all three lanes of the carriageway.

But senior officials at the country's transport agency have continually claimed the sink spots, highlighted by the Evening Times, are not "unusual" and are partial collapses as a result of settlement.

The Interlink M74 Joint Venture consortium of construction companies that built the "missing link", which connects the M8 and the M74, says the latest repairs will see gallons of high-strength liquid resin grout being pumped under the road surface.

The consortium is made up of construction firms Balfour Beatty, Morrison Construction and Sir Robert McAlpine, as well as infrastructure specialist Morgan Est.

A spokeswoman for the group said: "We have carried out ground investigation works on the M74 just to the south of Junction 1A at Polmadie, where the road surface has settled over a small area.

"The repair works, developed to avoid excavation of the carriageway, are being planned to commence in the coming weeks and will be carried out at night."

A series of reports in the Evening Times have highlighted a number of partial collapses of the road surface on the eastbound carriageway since the extension opened in June last year.

However, bosses refused to divulge whether there were similar problems elsewhere on the extension and told the Evening Times to submit a request under the Freedom Of Information Act – but added it was likely to be refused on the grounds of cost.

News of the fix comes after Transport Scotland nominated the five-mile stretch of motorway for an award that recognises "excellence" in civil engineering.

A spokeswoman for the roads agency confirmed the M74 had been nominated for the Saltire Society Awards.

She said: "Nomination for these awards is a recognition that Transport Scotland and Glasgow City Council have worked closely with the Interlink M74 JV to deliver a project that demonstrates high quality innovative design, efficient, well managed construction in a way that benefits communities."

Judges will visit the extension. A senior source at the Saltire Society said: "I assume it's the complete and totally fixed version they're talking about."

gordon.thomson@ eveningtimes.co.uk