Baldovie Toll

Baldovie Toll is an interesting junction to the north east of Dundee. Originally this junction was a simple crossroads, which still survives to the north of the current junction complex, although its western arm is a dead end, renamed as Baldovie Toll. This crossroads now sees the B978 run north south, with the B961 heading east, both routes very quickly leaving Dundee's urban area behind. The more important part of the junction now lies a short distance further south, and is a form of T junction, albeit with the mainline for traffic curving from the south to the west, and changing number as it does so.

The B978 to the south of Baldovie Toll has been upgraded to a dual carriageway through a largely industrial area. This dual carriageway ends just before the junction in a most peculiar manner. For northbound traffic, the two lanes are marked with arrows on the road for straightahead (sweeping to the left), or right turn (The old straight ahead). However, as the central reservation comes to an end, so does the lane line between these two lanes, with the central reservation replaced by a hatched area, which in turn becomes a turning lane for right turning traffic. The normal layout would, of course, have been to create a standard lane drop for right turning traffic, with the right hand lane from the dual carriageway feeding directly into the turning lane.

As the mainline through the junction swings to the west, it becomes the B961 instead of the B978, that route being the right turn (and also forming an odd double-bend multiplex for the B961 in the opposite direction. The reasons behind this reconstruction of the junction are obviously because the route forms a major suburban route around the north east of Dundee, so the majority of traffic now stays on the mainline of the current layout, rather than follow either of the numbered routes. The old western arm of the crossroads is also a narrow road across the old bridge (see below) and the houses beyond.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
B961	City Centre (A90)
B961	Newbigging, Monikie
B978	Broughty Ferry
B978	Kellas, Wellbank

Baldovie Toll Bridge

Adding to the interesting nature of Baldovie Toll is the old bridge which sits on the former B961 line to the west of the junction. This old stone 3-arch bridge sits low over the Fithie Burn, with a wider central arch flanked by two smaller ones. Each arch ring has an unusual pattern of alternately protruding and recessed stones with triangular cutwaters, all below an otherwise plain rubble structure. Since bypassing, the western arch has been cut off with the channel of the burn being reduced in width. The arch has subsequently been rather crudely filled in with red brickwork. The history of this old bridge is uncertain. The new bridge lies a short distance downstream and is a simple single span concrete slab structure.