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A8

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A8
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (179)
From:  Edinburgh (NT258740)
To:  Greenock (NS280763)
Via:  Glasgow
Distance:  68.8 miles (110.7 km)
Meets:  A1, A7, A720, M9, M8,
A725, M73, A77, A739
Primary Destinations
Highway Authorities

Transport Scotland • Edinburgh  • Glasgow  • Renfrewshire

Traditional Counties

Lanarkshire • Midlothian • Renfrewshire • West Lothian

Route outline (key)
A8 Edinburgh - Newbridge
A8 Newbridge - Newhouse
A8 Newhouse - Baillieston
A8 Baillieston - Bishopton
A8 Bishopton - Greenock
A8 Greenock - Gourock
This article is about the primary road in Scotland.
For the similarly numbered road in Northern Ireland, see A8 (Northern Ireland)
.

Route

Shieldhall Looking West in 2007
Main Article: A8 route

In the beginning, the A8 connected the two principal cities of Scotland, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Its motorway replacement has emerged piecemeal since the 1970s, with the latest section (J6 Newhouse -J8 Baillieston) opening in April 2017, with the A8 designation being 'kept' by the old road as a local access road (LAR) between these two junctions. The motorway was largely offline, but through Eurocentral junction took the A8 mainline, necessitating construction of new carriageways for the LAR.

Furthermore, it’s still one of the main roads in and out of the centres of each of those two historic cities, notwithstanding the westward connection to Greenock. It’s a misnomer to consider the A8 as a through route in its own right any more, consisting as it does of two separate major urban through routes and two (formerly three) separate trunk roads with a thirty-mile gap in the middle that has been downgraded in a number of guises.

History

The A8 in Glasgow in 1967
Main Article: A8 history

The A8 was the main road of Scotland's Central Belt until the M8 was built. Most of the Eastern section was taken over by the M8 while much of the Port Glasgow-Greenock section has been upgraded. The section to Gourock is now numbered A770.

Notable locations and improvements

Newbridge Roundabout

M9 view of the interchange
Main Article: Newbridge Roundabout

The Newbridge Roundabout is where the A8 meets the M9 motorway. This marks the end of the A8 in Edinburgh as the A89 takes over much of its route. It was originally an at-grade roundabout with the M8 ending there too. It is now Junction 1 of the M9.

Baillieston Interchange

Baillieston Interchange from the East
Main Article: Baillieston Interchange

The Baillieston Interchange is the major junction in Scotland. First built in the 1970's for the M73. Later the M8 opened and the A8 lost the mainline to the west.

Victoria Bridge

Victoria Bridge in Winter
Main Article: Victoria Bridge (Glasgow)

Victoria Bridge is one of the Bridges the A8 crosses in Glasgow. The other is called the Albert Bridge. Together they allow the A8 to cross the River Clyde.

Opening Dates

Month Year Section Notes
2017 Newhouse Junction - Baillieston Interchange New LAR opened.
2005 Newhouse Junction - Baillieston Interchange Pre-motorway upgrade.
1985 Shorting A8 shorten in Greenock.
1974 Gogar Stone - Gogar Park 1 mile online dualling.
1974 Port Glasgow - M8 West Ferry Interchange 2.9 mile online dualling with diversions at Langbank.
1972 Baillieston Interchange New Interchange with M73.
1969 Newbridge Junction - Gogar Stone 2.11 mile online dualling.
1967 Port Glasgow Relief Road 0.85 mile dual carriageway from Scarlow Street to Fyfepark Road.
1965 Newhouse Junction Upgrade to Motorway.
1963 Baillieston - Newhouse Industrial Estate 5.6 mile online dual carriageway. Cost £1.4 million.
1854 Victoria Bridge Bridge to Cross River Clyde.


Links

Roads.org.uk

Roads UK



A8
Sections
Junctions
Airport Junction • Baillieston Interchange • Bargeddie Junction • Barrangary Roundabout • Bullring Roundabout • Cartsdyke Roundabout • Chapelhall Junction • Chestnut Roundabout • Comet Roundabout (Port Glasgow) • Drumbrae Roundabout • East End Junction • Eurocentral Junction • Glasgow Cross • Glen Roundabout • Gogar Roundabout • Gorbals Cross • Gorbals Crossroads • Haymarket • Hillington Interchange • Kingston Junction • Kingston Roundabout (Port Glasgow) • Langbank Roundabout • Maybury Junction • Newark Roundabout • Newbridge Junction • Newhouse Junction • Paisley Road Toll • Red Smiddy Roundabout • Shawhead Junction • Shieldhall Roundabout • Southbar Interchange • Swinton Roundabout • West Ferry Interchange • Whitdale Roundabout • Woodhall Roundabout
Crossings
Roads
Places
Miscellaneous
Related Pictures
View gallery (179)
- Coppermine - 6763.JPGM8 south bar original layout.jpgA8 A78 A770 Bullring car park access - Geograph - 852291.jpgDellingburn Friday 3 April 2015.jpgM8 A8 Eurocentral Junction - aerial from NW.jpg
Other nearby roads
Edinburgh
NCN1 • NCN75 • NCN76 • A1 • A1/Sandbox • A7 • A9 • A68 • A70 • A71 • A89 • A90 • A199 • A700 • A701 • A702 • A703 • A720 • A772 • A900 • A901 • A902 • A903 • A904 • A982 (Edinburgh) • A1140 • A6095 • A6096 (Edinburgh) • A6106 • A7a • B700 • B701 • B900 • B901 • B924 • B1350 • B6415 • B7030 • B9080 • B9085 • Borders Historic Route • E15 • E16 • E31 (via Newcastle) • E32 (Old System) • E100 • Edinburgh - Glasgow New Road • EuroVelo 12 • Fife Coastal Tourist Route • Forth Valley Tourist Route • M8 • M9 • M90 • NCN754 • Radical Road • T1 (Britain) • T26 (Britain) • T27 (Britain) • T86 (Britain) • T89 (Britain) • West Approach Road • ZC1 (Edinburgh) • ZC11 (Edinburgh) • ZC12 (Edinburgh) • ZC13 (Edinburgh) • ZC14 (Edinburgh) • ZC15 (Edinburgh) • ZC16 (Edinburgh) • ZC17 (Edinburgh) • ZC18 (Edinburgh) • ZC19 (Edinburgh) • ZC2 (Edinburgh) • ZC20 (Edinburgh) • ZC21 (Edinburgh) • ZC22 (Edinburgh) • ZC23 (Edinburgh) • ZC24 (Edinburgh) • ZC25 (Edinburgh) • ZC26 (Edinburgh) • ZC27 (Edinburgh) • ZC28 (Edinburgh) • ZC29 (Edinburgh) • ZC3 (Edinburgh) • ZC30 (Edinburgh) • ZC31 (Edinburgh) • ZC32 (Edinburgh) • ZC33 (Edinburgh) • ZC4 (Edinburgh) • ZC43 (Edinburgh) • ZC45 (Edinburgh) • ZC5 (Edinburgh) • ZC6 (Edinburgh)
Glasgow
NCN75 • A8(M) (Baillieston) • A8/Old Greenock Road • A74 • A77 • A80 • A81 • A82 • A89 • A721 • A726 • A727 • A727 (Glasgow - Clarkston) • A728 • A729 • A730 • A731 • A732 • A736 • A737 • A739 • A749 • A754 (Renfrewshire) • A761 • A763 • A802 • A803 • A804 • A804 (Kelvingrove - Townhead) • A805 • A806 • A806 (Canniesburn - Scotstoun) • A808 • A809 • A814 • A876 (Glasgow) • A879 • B744 (Muirkirk - Glasgow) • B759 • B760 (Silverbank) • B760 (Tollcross) • B761 (Glasgow) • B762 • B762 (Braidfauld-Shettleston) • B763 • B763 (Dalmarnock - Parkhead) • B765 • B765 (Rutherglen) • B766 • B767 • B768 • B769 • B773 • B805 (Barlanark) • B807 • B808 • B808 (Millerston - St Rollox) • B809 • B810 (Great Western Road) • B811 • B812 (Glasgow - Bardowie) • B813 • B860 (Glasgow) • B7053 • B7058 • B8030 • B8049 • B8050 • E05 • E16 • E31 (via Carlisle) • E31 (via Newcastle) • E33 (London - Glasgow) • E100 • E111 (Old System) • East Kilbride Motorway • Edinburgh - Glasgow New Road • EuroVelo 1 • Glasgow Inner Ring Road • Hamilton - Cumbernauld Motorway • M6 • M8 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M81 • M82 • M83 • Military Way • NCN7 • NCN754 • Paisley - Hamilton Motorway • T12 (Britain) • T27 (Britain) • T28 (Britain) • T91 (Britain)
Greenock
A1-A99
The First 99           A1  •  A2  •  A3  •  A4  •  A5  •  A6  •  A7  •  A8  •  A9  • A10 • A11 • A12 • A13 • A14 • A15 • A16 • A17 • A18 • A19
A20 • A21 • A22 • A23 • A24 • A25 • A26 • A27 • A28 • A29 • A30 • A31 • A32 • A33 • A34 • A35 • A36 • A37 • A38 • A39
A40 • A41 • A42 • A43 • A44 • A45 • A46 • A47 • A48 • A49 • A50 • A51 • A52 • A53 • A54 • A55 • A56 • A57 • A58 • A59
A60 • A61 • A62 • A63 • A64 • A65 • A66 • A67 • A68 • A69 • A70 • A71 • A72 • A73 • A74 • A75 • A76 • A77 • A78 • A79
A80 • A81 • A82 • A83 • A84 • A85 • A86 • A87 • A88 • A89 • A90 • A91 • A92 • A93 • A94 • A95 • A96 • A97 • A98 • A99
Motorway sectionsA1(M): (South Mimms - Baldock • Alconbury - Peterborough • Doncaster Bypass • Darrington - Birtley)
A3(M) • A8(M) Baillieston spur • A38(M) • A48(M) Cardiff spur • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A92(M)
DefunctA1(M) Newcastle CME • A2(M) Medway Towns Bypass • A4(M) • A5(M) • A8(M) Renfrew bypass • A14 • A14(M) • A18(M) • A20(M) • A36(M)
A40(M): (Westway • Denham -Stokenchurch) • A41(M) • A42 • A46(M) • A48(M): (Port Talbot bypass • Morriston bypass) • A62(M) • A88 • A99
UnbuiltA2(M) Rochester Way Relief Road • A6(M): (Western route • Eastern route) • A14(M) (Expressway) • A34(M) • A48(M) Llantrisant Radial • A59(M) • A61(M)


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