WELCOME TO THE SITE

Welcome to Glasgows-Motorways.co.uk - the only website dedicated to the history, development and construction of the motorways and major trunk roads of the Greater Glasgow area. All the major routes are covered - the M8, M74, M77, M80, M73 - with a few other roads and major bridges thrown in for good measure. Eventually each motorway will have a dedicated page which will be made up of historic profiles, timelines, images and videos.

The site aims to bring the most accurate information available and act as a reliable reference! Countless hours have been spent scouring through archives, records and photographs. Extensive interviews have been conducted with one of the men who worked at the heart of the Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick team responsible for a "Highway Plan for Glasgow" published in 1965. Indeed you will find a whole section of this site dedicated to that historic plan and of the recommendations contained within it. Many publications on the Glasgow motorways in recent years have contained incorrect information - this site aims to set the record straight! Detailed coverage and analysis of current and future projects is also provided with a look at schemes such as the M74 and M80 Completion projects. Particular attention will be paid to Glasgow's unique overhead sign gantries and indepth articles detailing their design and special features will be available shortly. As we enter an unprecedented period of public spending cuts some analysis will be provided on the likely effects on transport and road condition.

Please feel free to email us at admin@glasgows-motorways.co.uk. You can also view our videos on Youtube and images on Flickr. By clicking the "join" tab at the bottom of the page you can connect to the site and receive regular updates and news about the site.

The first page on "A Highway Plan for Glasgow" has finally been published. The plan, which laid out plans for the Glasgow Inner Ring Road and a variety of routes beyond, was published in 1965 and shaped highway planning in Glasgow for almost twenty years. The report, which is very much of its time, recommended an array of urban motorways and expressways around 50% of which were constructed.

Initial plans for the Ring Road were released in late 1962, and as we approach that fiftieth anniversary it seems appropriate to look back on the report and to consider its impact on history. Glasgows Motorways is fortunate to have sourced copies of it and aims to provide the most in depth coverage available online.

Although superseded a few years later by the Greater Glasgow Transportation Study, the Highway Plan outlined routes such as the M8 from Baillieston to Hillington (via the Renfrew Motorway, Inner Ring Road and Monkland Motorway), the M77 (as the Ayr Motorway), the M80 (as the Stirling Motorway) and Cydeside Expressway. A number of unbuilt routes such as the Maryhill Motorway and the east and south flanks of the ring road were also proposed. The report was completed by Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners on behalf of the Corporation of Glasgow with work getting underway in 1960. Detailed traffic studies were undertaken, the results of which were outlined in the report as justification for the overall plan. Beautiful illustrations were also included, such as that for Townhead Interchange above. The Highway Plan is an important piece of Glasgow's transport history and should be credited with dramatically improving road links across the city.

Be sure to check it out now, if just for a selection of illustrations and never before seen images!! CLICK HERE