Canniesburn Toll

ADS for the junction on A809

Canniesburn Toll is a rather complicated junction at the northern end of the A739. The only other classified road to properly meet the roundabout is the A809, which also terminates here. However, just a stones throw to the east, the A81 glances off the junction, with a pair of link roads connecting to the roundabout. The northern one meets a mini roundabout on the A81, while the southern one meets the A81 at a set of traffic lights. While a couple of suburban streets still feed into the junction, Killermont Road which previously made a fourth arm at the A81 mini roundabout has been closed up, forcing quite a lengthy detour for traffic.

The main roundabout part of the junction is large and spacious, and works well at keeping traffic flowing. The A739 to the south is fully dualled, The other three approaches are all single carriageway, albeit widening to two lanes at the approach for turning traffic. At the northern spur of the A81, a yellow box protects the exit from traffic queuing for the A81 southbound, where the traffic lights on the A81 mainline can cause delays. The A81 itself is also fully dualled south of the junction, although only S4 to the north, while the short bypass section is lined with two southbound lanes and one northbound.

History

The roundabout was built in the 1920s, being built around the old crossroads, which lay approximately at the south east corner of the current roundabout, and the tollhouse. At the same time, the straighter approaching branch of what's now the A739 was constructed, providing a better alignment for that road. The bend on the A81 was also built around this time, primarily to cater for the new tramway, which presumably was unable to cope so easily with the tighter curve of the old road.

The evidence from old maps, while not conclusive, suggests that this junction used to be a simple crossroads. Starting at the south, the A81 kept along its southern spur (which is named as a continuation of Maryhill Road), to meet the top end of the A806 (now A739) Switchback Road on the eastern flank of the modern roundabout. The A81 then swept back eastwards on its northern spur, while the A809 turned off towards Bearsden as it still does. The current layout is clearly marked on maps from the early 1930s, and hinted at as early as 1925, although the scale of the sheet makes it difficult to be certain that the junction is exactly as it is today.

The junction was also the northern terminus of the former A806, now the A739, a sign for which survived at the junction until at least 2009.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A81	Milngavie 2, Strathblane 6
A81	City Centre 4 3/4
A739	Glasgow Airport 9, Anniesland 1 1/2	former A806
A809	Bearsden Cross, Drymen, Hardgate, Duntocher (A810)
A806	Anniesland 1 1/2
M82	Erskine Bridge, Clydebank
M82	Glasgow (M81), Stirling (M80), Edinburgh (M8)	no direct access to/from roundabout, would have been accessed by A81