Bellfield Interchange

Bellfield Interchange is a large roundabout interchange which sits above the dualled A77 Kilmarnock eastern bypass. It has a total of 6 arms, each with two approach lanes, while only the two eastern departures are single lane. The A71 is the other through route through the junction, approaching as a single carriageway from the east as the northern of the two arms on this side, and departing as the dualled southern arm on the western side. The A76 terminates at the junction from the south east, while the A735 terminates from the north west, and is S4 as it approaches the junction. The roundabout itself is a regular oval, the long axis aligned over the A77, with all of the arms fairly equally spaced. There is a service area between the A71 and A76 on the east side of the junction, with access from both routes.

History

The area prior to the Bypass

Before the bypass opened, the only classified route in the vicinity was the A734, which was renumbered throughout with the construction of the bypass and associated roads. The eastern bypass opened in early 1973, and this junction opened with it. The former A734 was plugged in on either side of the roundabout, the eastern arm becoming the re-routed A71, while the western arm was downgraded to become the B7072. The other two arms were new roads, built to connect to the roundabout. The A76 forms a lengthy realignment, bypassing Hurlford, and largely running alongside the railway line. Opposite it, a much shorter piece of new road was built to connect Queens Drive into the roundabout, as it had formerly curved south to meet the A734. This route had been unclassified, but was elevated to become the A71 into the town centre, where the A71 resumed its historic route.

Many years later, in 1987, the southern bypass opened, and the A71 was diverted onto it. This saw the former junction with the B7072 removed, and that route diverted north to meet Queens Drive, but on a different alignment to that originally used by Queens Drive! This allowed the new dual carriageway to meet the roundabout in the south west corner, and then follow an old railway across the southern edge of Kilmarnock, before following a completely new alignment through to Irvine. At this time, the former A71 route along Queens Drive was renumbered and became an extension of the A735.

The interchange in 1973 after opening of the Kilmarnock Eastern Bypass

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A71	Edinburgh, Darvel, Newmilns, Hurlford
A71	Irvine, Troon (A78)	former A734
A76	Dumfries, Mauchline, Auchinleck, Cumnock
A77	Fenwick, Glasgow, (M77)
A77	Ayr, Prestwick Airport
A735	Kilmarnock, Riccarton
B7072	Riccarton	former A734, diverted to meet the A735 when the A71, southern bypass opened in 1987