Hamilton Interchange

This article is about the current junction 6 of the M74.
For the original junction 6, see Maryville Interchange.

Aerial view of the central loops

Hamilton Interchange is the very large junction 6 (originally junction 4) on the M74 for Motherwell and Hamilton. It is large due to being the junction for the proposed Glasgow orbital motorway, but while this route was never built, the freeflow nature of the junction has proven beneficial as the towns of Motherwell and Hamilton have both grown substantially since the junction opened, bringing high traffic levels. The sliproads are laid out in the 'Octopus' variant of a Whirlpool interchange design, with each arm of the junction having a single offslip, which quickly forks, and two separate onslips. These are laid out in a nearly symmetrical manner, although the close proximity of the River Clyde on the south east side has squashed these sliproads. This creates a 180 degree turn for Motherwell bound traffic leaving the northbound M74. The junction is perhaps unusual in having segregated pedestrian routes loosely following the A723 through the junction. In order to navigate the motorway sliproads, there are two footbridges in each direction, with the walkways winding through the trees in between.

The junction was substantially completed in time for the December 1966 opening of the southward part of the M74, and fully completed in 1968 with the opening of the northward M74. It was originally junction 4, but became junction 6 when the numbering system was reversed in 1986 (see M74 and A74(M) History). The 1967 OS 1:10,000 sheet shows the junction complete, with the M74 coming to an end a short distance beyond the northern ends of the sliproads. At this time, traffic would have had to pass through Hamilton town centre and use the A74 (now the B7071) to continue north, and vice-versa.

If rotated anticlockwise through an angle of about 50 degrees it would be extremely similar in shape, size and orientation to Eccles Interchange, though Hamilton also includes grade-separated routes for pedestrians and cyclists going generally parallel to the A723.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
M74	Glasgow (A74)
M74	Carlisle (A74)
A723	Hamilton
A723	Motherwell, Wishaw
PHM	Hamilton, East Kilbride, Paisley
HCM	Motherwell, Edinburgh (M8), Cumbernauld