Stirling

Stirling is a small city on the bank of the River Forth in central Scotland. For centuries, it was the lowest crossing point of the river, other than by ferry, making it strategically important. It is also home to Stirling Castle, which is second only to Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. The city is a busy place, with a university, many tourist attractions and all of the shops and services required to serve a large hinterland stretching northwest into the Highlands. Easier access by road means that many people favour it over Glasgow as a destination.

Roads and changes

The bridge over the Forth meant that the main north road was routed through the city, benefitting also from being a convenient meeting place for routes from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. This road eventually became the A9, stretching through Perth to Inverness and later extended to the far north and John o Groats. The road from Glasgow became the A80, with the A84 heading to Callendar and on towards the Highlands. Across the river, the A91 and A907 lead across Clackmannanshire into Fife.

The opening of the Kincardine Bridge in the 1930s and, later, the Forth Road Bridge in the 1960s, diminished Stirlings importance in the road network, but the subsequent construction of the Motorways changed the situation again. It is perhaps not surprising that the M9 western bypass of the city was one of the earlier sectiosn to be opened. Today, Stirling sits at the apex of a triangle of motorways formed with Edinburgh and Glasgow via the M9 and M80, with both the short M876 and longer M8 (due to be completed soon) connecting them.

Within the city, there have been many changes to the classified road network over the years. Before the motorway was built, the A9 was re-routed through the city centre on a new dual carriageway and underpass under the Station. This led to the creation of a series of short lived connecting B roads, in addition to those created between the wars to try and ease the traffic through the centre. The routes were rationalised after the motorway opened, and more so when the new A91 eastern bypass was built. More recently still, the A811 has been re-routed away from the centre, diverted to meet the A84 on the west side of the city - the A84 itself having recently been moved out of Raploch onto a new road.

The B8051 now serves as a ring road on the west side of the city centre, whilst only the B8052 remains in the city centre, serving the Station and lying almost on top of the A9 underpass. To the north, stretching out to Bridge of Allan, the B823 remarkably remains almost unchanged from its original route. On the south side of the city centre, the A905 follows the forth south east to Grangemouth, whilst the A872 heads south to Denny, with the A9 running to Falkirk in the middle.

Inner Relief Road

Phase 1

St Ninians to Linden Road - The 1 mile dual carriageway was opened on 31 July 1964. Cost £266,000. Linden Road was used to connect northwards to Goosecroft Road.

Phase 2

Craigs Roundabout to Customs Roundabout (by New Stirling Bridge) - The 0.9 mile northern extension dual carriageway was opened on 11 November 1970 by Provost Robert McIntyre. Cost £960,000. This completed the Relief Road.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
M9	Edinburgh
M80	Glasgow (A80)
A9	Perth, Inverness
A84	Callander, Crianlarich, Oban
A91	Kinross, St Andrews
A811	Gargunnock, Kippen, Balloch
A9	Falkirk
A872	Denny
A905	Kincardine Bridge
A907	Alloa