An astonishing one million cubic metres of earth will be moved to level the land at Wester Moffat in Airdrie, preparing the site for the new University Hospital Monklands, due to open in 2031.
This early activity is part of the preparatory earthworks for NHS Lanarkshire’s Monklands Replacement Project (MRP) and does not signal the start of actual hospital construction. Building work cannot begin until the Scottish Government approves the Full Business Case, currently in development.
To mark the beginning of these works, NHS Lanarkshire Chair Martin Hill, Interim Chief Executive Colin Lauder, and MRP Director Graeme Reid visited the site with Andy Thomson, Project Director at construction partner Laing O’Rourke, and their teams.
Martin Hill said:
“It’s inspiring to stand on this site and picture our state-of-the-art, digital, net zero hospital taking shape. The scale of this project is immense—hundreds of thousands of tonnes of soil will be moved to create a 77-acre platform for the hospital and its wider campus.”
“This will be a hospital for all of Lanarkshire, designed with a future-focused model of care to meet the region’s needs through the 2030s and beyond, especially our ageing population.”
Colin Lauder added:
“These groundworks are another major milestone in our journey.”
“Some areas will be lowered by up to 19 metres, while others will be raised by 15. All the soil will be reused on-site. Laing O’Rourke will also construct a dedicated route for construction traffic and carry out ground remediation to address historic mine workings near the North Calder Water embankments.”
“The MRP is committed to being a good neighbour. Work will be carried out on weekdays and Saturday mornings, with measures in place to minimise noise and dust.”
These enabling works are expected to continue into next year and may overlap with foundation construction—pending approval of the final business case, due for submission later this year.
