Abington Interchange

Abington Interchange, also known as Nether Abington Interchange, is where the A74(M) becomes M74. It is Junction 13 on both motorways. The change of road number is indicated by a chopsticks sign inside the junction on the northbound carriageway but there is none southbound.

The most important non-motorway route at this junction is the A702 to the NE, which is a trunk road and the recommended route from the western side of England to Edinburgh. About one mile along this route is Duneatonfoot where the A73 begins.

Today the junction is a dumbbell which also connects the southward A702 through Abington village, the B7078 to the NW, and Abington services.

History

See also M74 and A74(M) History.

The village junction in 1957

Originally the A74 and A73 met in the middle of Abington village. A representation of the pre-Worboys direction sign which stood at this junction now forms part of a mural in the main building of Abington services, on the theme of transport in the area through the ages.

The bypass junction in 1962

The original A74 Abington bypass and interchange were opened in 1962. The dualled A74, coming from the south on the line of the present motorway, curved sharply left onto what is now the B7078. The A73/A702 turned off at a grade-separated fork interchange, with northbound A73/A702 traffic passing under the A74.

The original A74 and A73 through Abington then became unclassified; the ex-A73 met the A73 at an at-grade junction just east of the fork GSJ, and the ex-A74 met the A74 at two at-grade junctions with central reservation gaps, one near the present B797/M74 bridge and one just south of the fork GSJ. Traffic from the NE wishing to head NW, or vice versa, had to go through the village and use two of the at-grade junctions.

Until 1991 the section of A702 from Abington to Duneatonfoot was signed as A73. In 1991, when the M74 was extended south from J12 to here, the junction was rebuilt into its present form. A section of dualled A702, built as part of the 1960s interchange, was raised to the level of the eastern roundabout without change in horizontal alignment.

In 1993 the A74(M) to the south was opened; past the village it was created by online widening of the old bypass, and the B797 bridge was built. Further south the motorway was built alongside the A74, the former southbound carriageway of which became A702; this number continued through the village.

The service area was built at more or less the same time.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A74(M)	The SOUTH, Carlisle
M74	The NORTH, Glasgow
A702	Edinburgh, Lanark (A73)	Clyde Valley Tourist Route
A702	Elvanfoot, Crawford, Abington
B7078	Douglas (A70)
	Abington services
A74	The NORTH, Glasgow
A74	The SOUTH, Carlisle
A73	Edinburgh, Lanark

Strip Maps

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  The Abington Interchange as it was in 1980.

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  The current layout of the interchange.