M74 and A74(M) History wiki

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Ross Spur
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Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2011 20:16
Location: Swadlincote

M74 and A74(M) History wiki

Post by Ross Spur »

The page has a request for the opening date of the A74 Gretna by-pass around 1973. I cannot see where it was planned to insert this information so feel free to add the information to the Wiki.

The Friday, 27 April 1973 edition of the Wishaw Press and Advertiser had a brief article that the south lane of the £3million A74 Gretna bypass was opened last Thursday to take the flow of holiday traffic. The road was closed again on Tuesday until its official opening next week when it will link London to Glasgow by continuous dual carriageway.

The paper reported on Friday 11 May 1973 that it was opened on Friday by Lord Polwarth, Minister of State, Scottish Office at the Scottish end and Mr H K Speed, Undersecretary of State, Department of Environment at the English end.

The official opening was therefore on Friday 4 May 1973 as confirmed by the good old Coventry Evening Telegraph in its 2 May 1973 edition. 5 hours from Coventry to Glasgow it said, presumably in the "fabulous" Audi 8o advertised alongside.

An appropriately named person for the opening. Mr Speed was the MP for Meriden.

I see the importance now.

Cheers
Ian
Ian
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