M80

Holding the Central Belt together is the M80, a connection opening up access to Stirling, Perth, Dundee and all of Fife from Scotland's first city.

Branching off the M8 in the Glasgow suburbs, the M80 collects the entire traffic load of the M73 and carries it north-east to Cumbernauld. Then it splits, with the M80 proper taking traffic to the M9, which in turn leads to Perth, Aberdeen and the Highlands. The other fork, the M876, takes traffic over the Kincardine Bridge to Fife and the M90.

Considering that it performs such a vital strategic function, the M80 was unfinished for an awfully long time. The first section, from Haggs to the M9, opened in 1974, but it took a further 18 years for the next part to open. The Stepps Bypass arrived in 1992, beginning on the M8 and running through the Glasgow suburbs.

In between those two parts, from Stepps to Haggs, was the old A80 - a dual carriageway, yes, but plagued with traffic lights, local access points and the hideously congested Auchenkilns Roundabout. Part way along, the M73 merged in, adding considerably to its problems. Meanwhile the M80 remained in two parts, rather improbably finishing at junction 3 and resuming some considerable distance later at junction 4, as though the idea that the completed motorway might need any sort of junction for the M73 or the large town of Cumbernauld had never been considered.

The 12-mile section of A80 saw some upgrades in the intervening time, most notably the grade-separation at Auchenkilns in the early 2000s.

The proposals to finish the M80 continued to evolve, varying between an on-line upgrade of the A80 and a completely new route up the Kelvin valley to the north. Eventually approval was given for a modest upgrade scheme, and work was carried out to improve the A80 (but not widen it, except to add hard shoulders) to motorway standards. A new bypass of Moodiesburn was built, and junctions were improved. The original section was given new junction numbers. And after a 37 year wait, the M80 was finally completed in 2011.

Start

Glasgow

End

Stirling

Passes

Cumbernauld

Connects to

M8, M9, M73, M876

Length

25 miles

Click a section name to see its full details, or click a map symbol on the right to see all motorways opened in that year.

Completed Name Start End
Denny Bypass J7 Haggs J9 Pirnhall Chronology map for 1974
Stepps Bypass M8 J13 Provan J3 Hornshill Chronology map for 1992
Stepps - Haggs J3 Hornshill J7 Haggs Chronology map for 2011

Exit list

Symbols and conventions are explained in the key to exit lists. You can click any junction to see its full details.

Junction   Northbound               Southbound  
M9 J9 Perth
Crianlarich
M9 Link
NORTH
M9


M9
N/A
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 2 lanes  
9 Stirling
A91
Services Stirling
(A91)
LanesLanesLanesLanes
4 miles, 2 lanes 5 miles, 2 lanes
8 Kincardine Bridge
Falkirk
Grangemouth
M876 Link
M876
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 3 lanes 1 mile, 3 lanes
7 Denny
Kilsyth
Bonnybridge
A803
A803 A803 Kilsyth
Bonnybridge
A803
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
1 mile, 3 lanes 1 mile, 3 lanes
6A B816 B816 Bonnybridge
B816
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
1.5 miles, 2 lanes 0.25 miles, 2 lanes
LanesLanesLanesLanes
  1.25 miles, 3 lanes
6 Cumbernauld
Dullatur
Castlecary
A8011
B816 A8011 Cumbernauld
Dullatur
Castlecary
A8011
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
2 miles, 2 lanes 2 miles, 2 lanes
5 Airdrie
A73
B8048 A73 Airdrie A73
Kirkintilloch
Kilsyth
Cumbernauld
B8048
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
0.5 miles, 2 lanes 0.5 miles, 2 lanes
4A Kirkintilloch
Kilsyth
Cumbernauld
Condorrat
A8011 (B8048)
B8048 A8011
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
1.5 miles, 3 lanes 1.5 miles, 3 lanes
4 Moodiesburn
Mollinsburn
A80
M73
(M74)
A80
The SOUTH
Glasgow (SE)
Carlisle
M73 Link (M74 Link)
Moodiesburn
Mollinsburn
A80
LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
2.5 miles, 2 lanes 2.5 miles, 2 lanes
3 Kirkintilloch
Stepps
A806
A806 A806 Kirkintilloch
Stepps
A806
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
1.5 miles, 2 lanes 1.5 miles, 2 lanes
2 Bishopbriggs
B765


(B765)
Bishopbriggs
B765
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanes
2 miles, 2 lanes 2 miles, 2 lanes
1 N/A M8





SOUTH
M8



City Centre
Greenock
M8 Link
Blochairn
Carntyne
LanesLanesLanesLanes LanesLanesLanesLanesLanesLanesLanes
Routes
M80

Picture credits

With thanks to Fraser for information on this page.

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