The M73 is a

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

and

North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire ( sco, North Lanrikshire; gd, Siorrachd Lannraig a Tuath) is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the northeast of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs and commuter towns and villages. It also ...

, Scotland. It is long and connects the

M74 motorway The A74(M) and M74 form a major motorway in Scotland, connecting it to England. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central Glasgow to the Scottish-English border at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the M6 motorw ...

with the

M80 motorway The M80 is a motorway in Scotland's central belt, running between Glasgow and Stirling via Cumbernauld and Denny and linking the M8, M73 and M9 motorways. Following completion in 2011, the motorway is long. Despite being only a two lane ...

, providing an eastern bypass for Glasgow. The short stretch between Junctions 1 and 2 is part of unsigned

international E-road network The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads cross national borders. It also reaches Centr ...

E05, where it continues along the M8 through Glasgow. To the south, the

is also part of the E05.

Route

Starting at the M74 junction 4 (M73 junction 1) by the

River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...

, it proceeds north with Birkenshaw to the east and crosses the Whifflet railway line before meeting the M8 and A8 at a three-level interchange, west of Swinton. Immediately afterwards the North Clyde railway line and then passes alongside

Woodend Loch Woodend may refer to: Australia * Woodend, Victoria * Woodend, Queensland * Woodend, New South Wales New Zealand * Woodend, New Zealand United Kingdom England * Woodend, Egremont, Cumbria * Woodend, Ulpha, Cumbria * Woodend, Northam ...

before reaching junction 2A at Gartcosh. There is then a further of motorway, before traffic exits onto the M80 westbound. The road is a dual 3 lane road between junctions 1 and 2, and a dual 2 lane road between junctions 2 and 3. It is subject to the

national speed limit A speed limit is the limit of speed allowed by law for road vehicles, usually the maximum speed allowed. Occasionally, there is a minimum speed limit. Advisory speed limits also exist, which are recommended but not mandatory speeds. Speed limit ...

History and future plans

Construction began in 1969 with the motorway opening between May 1971 and April 1972. Junction 2A was added at a later date. In 2011, the northern end was extended as part of the M80 completion project. This connects the motorway into the completed M80 at a new interchange. Further work in 2017 improved access from the M74 at Junction 3A, and from the M8 and A8 at Baillieston Interchange.New aerial footage as M8 M73 M74 project nears completion
Daily Record, 5 January 2017

Junctions

{, class="plainrowheaders wikitable" , - !scope=col, County !scope=col, Location !scope=col, mi !scope=col, km !scope=col, Junction !scope=col, Destinations !scope=col, Notes , - ,

, rowspan="4" ,

, 0 , 0 , 1 , – Carlisle, Glasgow , , - ,

, 1.5 , 2.4 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 2 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , –

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

–

Barlanark Barlanark ( ) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated east of Budhill, Shettleston and Springboig, north west of Baillieston, west of Springhill and Swinton and south of Easthall, Easterhouse and Wellhouse. Name Th ...

,
– Gallowgate,

Coatbridge Coatbridge ( sco, Cotbrig or Coatbrig, gd, Drochaid a' Chòta) is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. Along with neighbouring town Airdrie, Coatbridge forms the area known as ...

, bgcolor="ffdddd" , No Northbound entrance from West on M8 , - , rowspan="2" ,

, 4.2 , 6.8 , 2a , – Gartcosh, Muirhead , , - , 6.4 , 10.3 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 3 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , – Stirling
– Moodiesburn, Chryston , bgcolor="ffdddd" , No exit to M80 going Westward or entrance from M80 from the West ;Coordinate list

Gallery

File:Maryville_Interchange_-_M73,_M74_-_geograph.org.uk_-_106423.jpg, The interchange with the M74. File:M73_plus_Blue_Railway_Bridge_-_geograph.org.uk_-_127406.jpg, The M73 just before the Gartcosh cutoff

References

External links