B779
B779 | |||||||||||||
Location Map ( geo) | |||||||||||||
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From: | Kilwinning (NS300433) | ||||||||||||
To: | Irvine (NS316405) | ||||||||||||
Distance: | 3.3 miles (5.3 km) | ||||||||||||
Meets: | A737, A78, A737 | ||||||||||||
Old route now: | B752 | ||||||||||||
Primary Destinations | |||||||||||||
Highway Authorities | |||||||||||||
Traditional Counties | |||||||||||||
Route outline (key) | |||||||||||||
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The B779 is a short B-road to the south of the Ayrshire town of Kilwinning.
Route
The route starts in Kilwinning town centre at traffic lights on the A737, where the A737 TOTSOs onto the town centre relief road. After briefly following Main Street, the route curves to the right, the remainder of Main Street now being pedestrianised, and heads south along Almswall Road. There are a few shops at first, but as the route drifts downhill it becomes more residential. After it curves onto Netehrmains Road, most of the houses are set back behind Service roads, and it passes Almswall Park to the left, before bearing left at a roundabout. A short, sinuous section then leads across what appears to be derelict industrial land, and past a small industrial estate to reach the dual-carriageway A78 bypass. Continuing along the B779 is difficult. The junction is a LILO and so traffic from the B779 has to turn left along the dual carriageway as far as the Eglinton Interchange half a mile to the east. From here, it can double back to resume its journey along the B779.
The B779 turns south off the A78 and is initially reduced to a one way road southbound, making it impossible to drive the route northbound in one go. The route crosses the River Garnock on Netehrmains Bridge and then becomes two-way at a tiny mini roundabout, squeezed into a bulge in the road (although anyone making it this far north is either lost or here deliberately). The onward route to the south is straight and wide - and hardly used, except by dog walkers. Traffic increases a little after the entrance to a recycling centre, and then the road bends to the left around a golf course. A new housing development sits on the right, and then another left hand bend leads along a short straight to end at traffic lights on the A737 to the north of Irvine.
History
Originally the B779 appeared to be a southern bypass of Kilwinning. It started on the A78 (now A738) to the east of Stevenston, and headed east along Dubbs Road and Byrehill Road. This route is now predominantly a cycle route, and while traffic can still use it as a through route, it is discouraged by various signs. At the eastern end, Byrehill Road has been lost under the A78 dual carriageway, so losing the original connection to its current route to the north of Nethermains Bridge. At the further end, the route originally crossed the golf course on Kidsneuk to meet the A737 further north than the current alignment.
By 1932 the road had been moved onto its current route at each end, with the original sections being declassified. More recently the route was severed by the A78, although to begin with there were gaps in the central reservation, and a right turn lane out of the southern section. The original western end of the B779 along Dubbs Road in Stevenston is now part of the B752, or perhaps more precisely is a service road in front of the houses alongside the B752.