A8 road (Scotland) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
|
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||
| Route information | ||||
Part of  E05 |
||||
| Length | 42.9 mi (69.0 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| East end | Edinburgh 55°57′00″N 3°12′27″W / 55.9501°N 3.2076°W |
|||
 M9 motorway M73 A1 A7 A70 A720 A73 A74 A77 A78 A80 A89 A90 |
||||
| West end | Greenock 55°56′55″N 4°45′23″W / 55.9487°N 4.7565°W |
|||
| Highway system | ||||
Template:Infobox road/browselinks/SCT
|
||||
→The A8 is a major road in Scotland. It connects Edinburgh in the east to Greenock in the west. It also passes through the big city of Glasgow. This road used to be very important for travel. However, a newer and faster road, the M8 motorway, was built. The M8 now covers much of the same journey between Edinburgh and Glasgow. This means the A8 is not as busy for long-distance trips anymore.
Where the A8 Road Goes
This section explains the path of the A8 road. It also shows how it connects with the M8 motorway.
Starting in Edinburgh
The A8 road begins in the West End of Edinburgh. This area is part of the historic New Town. Long ago, the famous Princes Street was part of the A8. But now, Princes Street is mostly for buses and people walking. So, it is no longer officially part of the A8.
The road then goes west through the city's suburbs. It passes places like Murrayfield and Corstorphine. Often, there is a special lane for buses next to it. When the A8 reaches the A720 City Bypass, it becomes a "primary route." This means it is a main road for longer journeys. It then goes past the Royal Highland Showground at Ingliston and Edinburgh Airport.
At Newbridge, the A8 meets the start of the M8 and M9 motorways. From here, the A8 road is interrupted. Parts of it have been renamed. For example, it becomes the A89 until Bathgate. It then changes to the A7066 to Whitburn. After that, it is the B7066 near Harthill. The A8 name starts again at Newhouse.
Through Glasgow
From Newhouse, the A8 runs next to the M8 motorway. For a long time, there was no motorway between Newhouse and Baillieston in Glasgow. So, the A8 carried all the traffic here. It was made better over time to handle the demand. But in 2017, the last part of the M8 was finished. This new motorway now handles most of the through traffic. The A8 is now mainly used for local access. It connects places like the Eurocentral business park with Chapelhall and Calderbank. These towns are south of Airdrie.
Just before Junction 8 of the M8, the A8 separates from the motorway. It meets the A89 at Bargeddie. It also acts as the interchange for the M8 and M73. At a roundabout near Swinton, the A8 briefly joins the A89. Then it heads towards central Glasgow.
The A8 now goes through many suburbs. These include Garrowhill, Barlanark, Wellhouse, Springboig, Cranhill, and Carntyne. In these areas, it is called Edinburgh Road. Much of it has two or three lanes in each direction. However, cars must still follow a city speed limit of 30 miles per hour (about 48 km/h).
The A8 then passes Haghill and Dennistoun. Here, it is called Alexandra Parade. It leads into the city centre near Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Glasgow Cathedral. It then follows High Street and Saltmarket. These streets run north to south. At Glasgow Cross, it meets the A89 (Gallowgate) and the A749 (London Road). The A8 then splits into a complex one-way system. It comes back together before the start of the A814. This road goes west along the Clyde. The A8 then crosses the river near The Gorbals. Here, it meets the end of the A74.
From there, the A8 leaves the city. It goes through Tradeston and Kingston. In Kingston, it passes under the M8's Kingston Bridge. It continues through Kinning Park, Cessnock, and Ibrox. In these areas, it is known as Paisley Road West. It changes to Edmiston Drive past Ibrox Stadium. Then it goes through Drumoyne and Shieldhall as Shieldhall Road. It passes Braehead as Renfrew Road. In the town centre of Renfrew, it is Glasgow Road, Glebe Street, and Inchinnan Road. It passes behind Glasgow Airport at Inchinnan. It crosses over the M8 east of Bishopton. It meets the M8 again at its western end, Junction 31. This is between Bishopton and Langbank.
The A8 becomes a primary route again here. It takes traffic through Port Glasgow. The A8 ends in Greenock. It finishes at a large roundabout where it meets the A78 road and the A770. The A770 goes to Gourock, which was the original end point of the A8.
What are Euroroutes?
The A8 road is part of some "Euroroutes." These are special road numbers that are part of a big network across Europe. They help people travel across different countries.
Three small parts of the A8 are part of three different Euroroutes:
- The section from the western end of the M8 into Greenock is part of the E05.
- The part between M8 Junctions 6 and 7 is part of the E16.
- A very short section linking the A720 and A902 is part of the E15.
