M80 motorway

	Template: Infobox high-ranking road / Maintenance / GB-M
	M80 motorway in the UK
	map
	Basic data
Operator:	Transport Scotland
Start of the street:	Blochairn
End of street:	Stirling
Overall length:	40.2 km (25 mi )
Countries :	Scotland
Development condition:	two lanes in each direction

The M80 motorway ( English for ' M80 motorway ') is a main motorway in central Scotland , which serves as an arterial road from Glasgow to County Fife , the city of Perth and further into the Scottish Highlands . It is 40 kilometers (25 miles) long and connects Glasgow and Stirling via the city of Cumbernauld . It was built in three stages that were far apart in time: 12 km near Haggs in 1974 at the north end, 8 km near Stepps in 1992 at the south end and the 20 km gap closure in 2011.

history

The first route at Haggs and Stirling was completed in May 1974, along with the last phase of of Edinburgh 's leading motorway M9 . In June 1992 the second route came at Stepps, which serves as a bypass for the suburbs of Glasgow.

After this construction work, the 20 km long gap at and through Cumbernauld was created. The four-lane main road A80 ran there, but with its traffic lights and roundabouts it was not designed for motorway traffic. One of the main junctions of the A80, the "Auchenklins" roundabout, had such severe traffic problems that in November 2005 it was given freedom of plan. However, for many years the gap closure was delayed by disputes about the end route. There were two options: expand the previous main road to the motorway, build a new Stepps – Mollinsburn route or build a new motorway in the so-called " Kelvin Valley Route". Despite resistance, the expansion option was chosen, not least because of the destruction of part of the Roman Antonine Wall in the new construction option. Preparatory work for the £ 320 million expansion began in November 2008 and, after almost three years, was fully opened to traffic in September 2011. The full length of the M80 motorway has since been completed.

Description of the route

The road begins at Junction 13 of the M8 motorway in Blockairn, a suburb of Glasgow . To the northeast, the road serves Bishopbriggs , Lenzie and Kirkintilloch , from which many commuters come to Glasgow. A few miles after Glasgow joins the M73 motorway from the south and shortly afterwards the route runs through the planned town of Cumbernauld. Before the junction with the A91 leading to Stirling, the M876 branches off , which directs traffic to the Kincardine Bridge (City of Kincardine ). A few hundred yards further, the motorway ends when it joins the M9 at Bannockburn just before Stirling .

Web links

Description on cbrd.co.uk