M73 motorway

M73
M73
	M73 highlighted in blue
Route information
	Part of E05
Length	7.0 mi (11.3 km)
Existed	1969–present
History	constructed 1969 – 2011
Major junctions
South end	Uddingston
	; M74 motorway; ; M8 motorway; ; M80 motorway
North end	Mollinsburn
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Primary; destinations	Cumbernauld, Hamilton, Motherwell, Carlisle
Road network
	Roads in the United Kingdom; Motorways; A and B road zones;

The M73 is a motorway in Glasgow and North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is 7 miles (11 km) long and connects the M74 motorway with the M80 motorway, providing an eastern bypass for Glasgow. The short stretch between junctions 1 and 2 is part of unsigned international E-road network E05, where it continues along the M8 through Glasgow. To the south, the M74 motorway is also part of the E05.

Route[edit]

Starting at the M74 junction 4 (M73 junction 1) by the River Clyde, 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 before reaching junction 2A at Gartcosh. There is then a further 2 miles (3.2 km) of motorway, before traffic exits onto the M80 westbound.

The road is a dual three-lane road between junctions 1 and 2, and a dual two-lane road between junctions 2 and 3. It is subject to the national speed limit.

History and future plans[edit]

Construction began in 1969 with the motorway opening between May 1971 and April 1972.^[2] Junction 2A was added at a later date.^[1]

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.^[3] Further work in 2017 improved access from the M74 at Junction 3A, and from the M8 and A8 at Baillieston Interchange.^[4]

Junctions[edit]

County	Location	mi	km	Junction	Destinations	Notes
North Lanarkshire	Glasgow	0	0	1^{[coord 1]}	M74 – Carlisle, Glasgow
Glasgow		1.5	2.4	2^{[coord 2]}	M8 – Edinburgh, Glasgow A8 – Barlanark, A89 – Gallowgate, Coatbridge	No Northbound entrance from West on M8
North Lanarkshire		4.2	6.8	2a^{[coord 3]}	A752 – Gartcosh, Muirhead
North Lanarkshire		6.4	10.3	3^{[coord 4]}	M80 – Stirling A80 – Moodiesburn, Chryston	No exit to M80 going Westward or entrance from M80 from the West
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access