Did the former A74 Blackwood Bypass have lighting?

[RJDG14]

There's this old 1980s photo taken during the motorway upgrade works of the A74 Blackwood Bypass that I came across on Twitter/X:

https://twitter.com/ScotRoadArchive/sta ... 6749294592

The main thing I noticed in this photo would be a number of lights on the northbound carriageway that look to have been there as part of the A74 prior to the upgrade works starting.

Were these lights simply part of a sliproad or was the bypass lit before being upgraded to motorway? There are no lights on this part of the M74 today.

If the Blackwood Bypass was lit or partially lit, were there any other sections of the A74 aside from the original Lesmahagow Bypass (which I know was) that had lighting? I don't believe either the Beattock or Lockerbie bypasses or Johnstonebridge stretch did based on photos I've seen.

[varga]

the bypass was built in 1963. It was standard for dual carriageways have streetlights by then I believe

[wrinkly]

the bypass was built in 1963. It was standard for dual carriageways have streetlights by then I believe

I certainly don't believe that street lighting was standard on rural or non-frontage-developed dual carriageways in the 1960s. There certainly wasn't lighting on most of the A74, or the A1 in England, where long stretches were dualled around that time.

Until about ten years ago, street lighting got more common decade by decade.

Others on here are much more into streetlight type recognition than I am, but to me those columns and fittings look much more like 1980s ones than early 1960s ones.

I'll add some more comments tomorrow.

I'm very surprised to see lighting there.

[Bryn666]

Some selected junctions on the A74 had lighting installed as part of the later safety upgrades that included the hard strip retrofits. The A70 stagger was lit too.

These would have dated to the early 80s.

Lesmahagow to Blackwood was intermittently lit by that stage, but as the motorway was extended it was mostly removed.

[RJDG14]

Some selected junctions on the A74 had lighting installed as part of the later safety upgrades that included the hard strip retrofits. The A70 stagger was lit too.

These would have dated to the early 80s.

Lesmahagow to Blackwood was intermittently lit by that stage, but as the motorway was extended it was mostly removed.

Is it known what some of the other A74 junctions with lighting were aside from at Lesmahagow and Blackwood?

[M56phil]

I do remember the bit on the old A74 running upto the A73 underpass in Abington was definitely lit for at least half a mile prior to the junction.

Used to drive this section while my brother was at St Andrews university - for some strange reason I remember it quite clearly. I am pretty sure some of them were MA60s SOX type lights. They weren’t up the central reservation - basically in pairs up each side of the carriageway.

[ManomayLR]

Just a note to say this thread has been moved to Street Furniture.

Carry on…