A77: Ayr to Stranraer

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What should become of the A77 between Ayr & Stranraer?

Motorway
21
14%
Grade-Seperated D2
47
32%
At-Grade D2
23
16%
WS2/S3/S4/S2+1 etc.
24
16%
Keep it as it is (ie. S2)
10
7%
Mixture of the above
20
14%
Other (please state)
1
1%
 
Total votes: 146

Glenn A
Member
Posts: 9776
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2005 19:31
Location: Cumbria

Re: A77: Ayr to Stranraer

Post by Glenn A »

djw1981 wrote: Sun Aug 07, 2022 19:00 It was also Dumfries show yesterday so even more agric traffic than normal
Perhaps this explains some of the congestion, although many of the vehicles looked they contained holidaymakers. Again, though, a road that can become very slow and with few overtaking opportunities on the S2 sections.
71East
New Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 23:55

Re: A77: Ayr to Stranraer

Post by 71East »

swissferry wrote: Fri Aug 05, 2022 21:37
swissferry wrote: Mon Apr 04, 2022 19:25 I am awaiting reply from Ayrshire Roads Alliance.
Four month later...
...received these two replies today:
Apologies for the delay in responding to your enquiry.

It should be noted that road signage is a devolved matter, and there is nothing to prevent a B-class road being given a two digit classification in Scotland. This matter has been reviewed by both the Ayrshire Roads Alliance and Transport Scotland, and neither organisation has found any issue with the chosen numbering of the B77.

We will monitor our corporate enquiries system for any complaints in relation to driver confusion with respect to numbering – if this is found to be an issue then we will revisit the matter.

We trust this helps to clarify in relation to your enquiry.

Kind regards,
Graeme Senior
Team Leader - Traffic Ayrshire Roads Alliance
I refer to your email regarding the de-trunked section of the A77 through Maybole South Ayrshire.

Ayrshire Roads Alliance discussed the classification numbering with Transport Scotland who had no issues with the de-trunked section classified as the B77.

Ayrshire Roads Alliance have no plans to amend the number classification.

Regards
Kevin Braidwood
Head of Roads - Ayrshire Roads Alliance
Original post to Ayrshire Road Alliance
Dear Sir/Madam, On 18 March I had the pleasure of driving on the Maybole Bypass and appreciated the new road. I was surprised to see signs from either end of the bypass which refer to the route into Maybole as the B77. All other B roads in Scotland are 3 or 4 digits. The only two digit B roads in the British Isles are on the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland. I contacted Transport Scotland about this. They informed me there is no reason that a two digit B-road classification cannot be used in Scotland however the responsibility of assigning road numbers to side roads was a matter for the relevant road authority, in this case Ayrshire Road Alliance. According to https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... lly_Oak%29 a similar situation occurred in England where the non-standard number B38 was seemingly allocated to the former A38 in Selly Oak, Birmingham upon opening of the bypass in 2011. The road linked the A38 to itself. In December 2011, the Department for Transport confirmed they were aware of the abnormal numbering, as B roads are three or four digit numbers long, and were discussing the issue with Birmingham City Council. In early 2012, all the signs were patched with B384 patches. As this is the only two digit B road in Scotland do you plan to renumber it? It could be renumber B770 or B772 as these road numbers are not currently in use.
I drove down here recently for the first time in years so the bypass took me by a pleasant surprise! I did a double take when I saw the B77 sign. Came on here as I wondered why it was given the two digit designation. B770 and B772 appear to be unused so it would have been obvious, I also thought, to use one of those. Did the relevant authority just make a mistake and give a waffly explanation? Is this going to be future practice for bypasses, meaning we could see B77 roads in others places if the A77 ever gets further bypasses?

In parts of USA I have visited, when a town was bypassed, the US highway number moved to the bypass but the old route through town retained the number with a "BUS" (business) sign attached. An example being US29 in Virginia which I drove a number of times visiting relatives.

From the SABRE Wiki: B38 %28Selly Oak%29 :

The non-standard number B38 was seemingly allocated to the former A38 in Selly Oak, Birmingham upon opening of the bypass in 2011. The road linked the A38 to itself, starting by Tesco then climbing Bristol Road under the Cross City Line to end at the Selly Oak Triangle.

In December 2011, the Department for Transport confirmed they were aware of the abnormal numbering, as B roads are three or four digit numbers long,

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