Warrix Interchange

Warrix Interchange is a large Roundabout interchange which was built on a greenfield site in the mid 1970s. It connects the A71 to the A78, both of which were diverted from their former lines, the A71 only moving a short distance south, whilst the A78 was moved out of Irvine onto the new bypass route. This was the western end of a lengthy new stretch of A71 that was built from Kilmarnock to the coast at Irvine, and is dualled to the east of the interchange, even if it is only S2 to the west. The A78 passes through underneath as a dual carriageway.

The roundabout, then, is a fairly standard 4-arm interchange, sitting above the dualled north-south A78. The western arm of the A71 is a wide S2 road, with two approach lanes and a long split between the carriageways, similar in length to the eastern arm which is dualled. Indeed, this is an unfinished Grade Separated Dual Carriageway, with a Dumbbell Interchange followed by an incomplete roundabout interchange as it heads east towards Kilmarnock.

History

Irvine Bypass opened in 1976 with no junction in the location. A junction was built to provide a connection to the Irvine to Kilmarnock new road, a re-routing of A71. Originally it connected to the eastwards A71 Dreghorn Bypass which opened in March 1978. This was phase 1 of the Irvine to Kilmarnock new road.

The western arm was opened in December 1981 with the Irvine Bypass Link to Milgarholm Roundabout which allowed access to the town centre by either route on the Southern Approach Road.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A71	Crosshouse, Hospital (A&E), Kilmarnock, Glasgow (M77)
A78	Kilwinning, Ardrossan, Greenock
A78	Troon, Prestwick Airport, Ayr
A71	Town Centre, Harbourside