Gogar Roundabout

The Gogar Roundabout is the western end of the City of Edinburgh Bypass, where it meets the A8. Before the M8 western extension it was more important, as the A8 near the Airport was the main route from Stirling and Glasgow to the Edinburgh area, and the A902 was the main access to the Forth Road Bridge from the A720. Signs (especially older ones) show this important past, though the junction performs a more local function now. The railway to the Forth Bridge passes just to the east, while the tram line loops around from the Gyle centre to Ingliston.

The junction takes the form of a large roundabout with the A8 passing underneath. As well as the main connection between the A720 and A8, there is another turn-off for the Gyle Shopping Centre and South Gyle; sliproads bypass the roundabout for left-turning traffic. To the north, an access road leads into Edinburgh Gateway station, and the tram depot. The latter dates to the 2010s: the junction has seen roadworks for many years, first to route the trams across just to the east, and then for the construction of Edinburgh Gateway station immediately to the north of the junction.

Grade Separation

When first constructed,the roundabout was at-grade. The A8 underpass was constructed in 1992/3, opening on 16th July

Abandoned proposals

The City Bypass was always intended to continue northwards to the A90 with Gogar Roundabout being an intermediate junction. The original proposals from the early 1970s was for the A720 to terminate at Barnton Junction. Two alignments were proposed at Gogar.

1971 online proposal

This scheme is for the route as built with the junction being in the same location as what currently exists. With the A8 due to lose its importance when the M8 is built there was no A8 underpass planned.

1971 offline proposal

The other scheme is an offline route to the east. This route meets Maybury Road head on and that road would have been dualled throughout. The junction for this scheme would have been where Gyle Shopping Centre now stands. The A8 would have been diverted onto a new alignment with a spur running from the eastern side of the roundabout to the existing A8. The width of this spur suggests it would have been S4.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A720	City Bypass, The South & East, Berwick-upon-Tweed (A1), Edinburgh South & East
A8	Glasgow, Livingston, Bathgate (M8), Stirling (M9), Forth Road Bridge (A90) Broxburn (A89), Ingliston, Airport
A8	The North & West, Edinburgh West and North, City centre, Leith, Air Cargo
		Edinburgh Gateway station, tram depot
	Edinburgh Park, Gyle Centre, South Gyle Industrial Estate, South Gyle Station
A720	Forth Road Bridge (A90)

Signage notes

The Butterfly signs exist at the gore of the slip roads leaving the A8. Signs are inconsistent as to whether roads are primary or non primary (none of them are trunk), with newer ones in non primary black-on-white with different destinations to the primary white-on-green signs (both sets listed above).

Links

• Scott Wilson Scottish History: Gogar Roundabout (Grade Separation) - Lothian Regional Council  1993 (archive.org)