Straiton Junction
Straiton Junction | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
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NO Sign on entrance to A720 City of Edinburgh Bypass at Straiton | |||
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Location | |||
Straiton | |||
County | |||
Midlothian | |||
Highway Authority | |||
Transport Scotland | |||
Junction Type | |||
Modified dumbbell | |||
Roads Joined | |||
A701, A720, B702 | |||
Straiton Junction is a modified dumbbell junction on the City of Edinburgh Bypass where it crosses over the A701, which is dualled throughout. The southern roundabout of the junction has been stretched further south to also serve the B702 and is a teardrop design which means that traffic cannot turn directly right from the A701 onto the B702, although in practice this is not a problem. This also means that the two sliproads for the westbound carriageway of the A720 merge / diverge onto the A701 rather than meeting the roundabout itself. The northern roundabout also has a fourth arm, being the unclassified Lang Loan which, until recently, cut across fields heading east towards Gilmerton, but new housing has been built across these fields, substantially increasing traffic on the route. The junction first opened in summer 1988 as a temporary terminus for the city bypass, the missing link to the east opening late in 1989.
The junction lies on the main radial route from Edinburgh city centre to the dormitory town of Penicuik, with the A701 also serving as one of the main routes between Edinburgh and Peebles and the surrounding area. However, perhaps more important today are the vast Straiton retail park and other warehouse stores immediately to the south of the junction, which can lead to serious congestion by themselves at busy times. These line the eastern side of the A701 to the south of the bypass, and form one of the largest out of town shopping destinations in Scotland.
Routes
Route | To | Notes |
City Bypass, Forth Road Bridge (A90), Glasgow (M8), Stirling (M9), Edinburgh West & North, Airport | ||
City Bypass, Berwick upon Tweed (A1), Edinburgh East & North, Leith | ||
City Centre, Edinburgh South | ||
Peebles, Peniculk, Bilston (A703), City Centre Park and Ride, Straiton Park (South), Pentland & Bilston Glen Ind. Estates | ||
Straiton Park (North), Loanhead | ||
Gilmerton |