A73 road facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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| Route information | ||||
| Length | 37 mi (60 km) | |||
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| South end | Abington 55°31′08″N 3°41′08″W / 55.5190°N 3.6856°W |
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 M80 A89 A8 M8 A71 A72 A70 |
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| North end | Cumbernauld 55°56′37″N 4°00′49″W / 55.9435°N 4.0136°W |
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→The A73 is a road in Scotland that used to be a very important route. It connects the M74 motorway near Abington to the M80 motorway at Cumbernauld. This road is about 37 miles (60 kilometers) long. It goes through several towns like Lanark, Carluke, Newmains, Chapelhall, and Airdrie.
Contents
The A73 Road: A Key Scottish Connection
The A73 road was once a main connection for traffic traveling between the north of Scotland and England. Today, it is mostly used by local drivers. It helps people get to the two big motorways it connects with.
A Changing Role for the A73
Over time, the importance of the A73 road has changed. This happened because new motorways were built. These new roads made it easier and faster for people to travel.
Why the A73 Changed
The first parts of the A73 to become less important were between Abington and Carluke, and Cumbernauld and Newhouse. This change happened after the M73 motorway was built. The M73 is a shorter road located further west. It connects to the M74 motorway at Junction 4. This new motorway meant that drivers from the north no longer needed to use the A73 to reach England.
Keeping a Section Important
Even after these changes, a part of the A73 between Carluke and Newhouse remained important. This section was still a main route for vehicles traveling between Glasgow and Peebles. To make this part of the road better, two new sections were built. These were 'dual carriageways', which means they have two lanes going in each direction. They were built between Bellside and Newmains, and Bogside and Law. Also, a new bypass was created around the town center of Carluke. Here, the main route continues as the A721.
The Final Downgrade
Eventually, the M74 motorway was fully completed. This made it much easier for drivers traveling from Peebles to Glasgow. They could now use the A702 route, which also joins the M74 at Abington. Because of these new and improved motorways, the entire A73 road was changed. It became a 'secondary route', meaning it's not a main national road anymore. However, it is still a busy road, especially between Lanark and the M8 motorway at Newhouse.
