Bilingual border sign between England and Scotland

The A74(M) and M74 form a major

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 ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, connecting it to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The routes connect the M8 motorway in central

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 popul ...

to the Scottish-English

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

at Gretna. In conjunction with their southward continuation, the

M6 motorway The M6 motorway is the longest motorway in the United Kingdom. It is located entirely within England, running for just over from the Midlands to the border with Scotland. It begins at Junction 19 of the M1 and the western end of the A14 at ...

, they form one of the three major cross-border routes between Scotland and England. They are part of the 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 Cen ...

E05. Although the entire route is colloquially referred to as the M74, for more than half its length, south of Abington, the road is officially the A74(M); see ''

naming confusion Naming is assigning a name to something. Naming may refer to: * Naming (parliamentary procedure), a procedure in certain parliamentary bodies * Naming ceremony, an event at which an infant is named * Product naming, the discipline of deciding wha ...

'' below.

Route

From its junction with the M8 just south of the Kingston Bridge, the newest section passes through the Glasgow districts of

Govanhill Govanhill ( gd, Cnoc a' Ghobhainn) is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, situated south of the River Clyde between Pollokshields, the Gorbals, Strathbungo, Crosshill, Glasgow, Crosshill, Polmadie and Queen's Park, Glasgow, Queen's Park. Shires of Sco ...

Polmadie Polmadie (; gd, Poll Mac Dè, lit=Son of God pool) is a primarily industrial area of Glasgow in Scotland. Situated south of the River Clyde, Polmadie is close to residential neighbourhoods including Govanhill (to the west) and Toryglen (south-e ...

, Oatlands and parts of the nearby towns of

Rutherglen Rutherglen (, sco, Ruglen, gd, An Ruadh-Ghleann) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, immediately south-east of the city of Glasgow, from its centre and directly south of the River Clyde. Having existed as a Lanarkshire burgh in its own ...

and Cambuslang, on an elevated embankment, with junctions at Kingston, Polmadie Road, Eastfield and Tollcross before connecting to the much older section of the M74. It then runs in a roughly south-easterly direction past the

Clyde Valley 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 ...

towns of

Uddingston Uddingston ( sco, Uddinstoun, gd, Baile Udain) is a small town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is on the north side of the River Clyde, south-east of Glasgow city centre, and acts as a dormitory suburb for the city. Geography and boundaries ...

, Bothwell,

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

and Motherwell, meeting the A725 road at Junction 5 (Raith Interchange), before meeting the cross-country A71 at

Larkhall Larkhall ( sco, Larkhauch, gd, Taigh na h-Uiseig) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, around southeast of Glasgow. It is twinned with Seclin in northern France. Larkhall sits on high ground between the River Clyde to the East and the ...

. It passes west of

Lanark Lanark (; gd, Lannraig ; sco, Lanrik) is a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, located 20 kilometres to the south-east of Hamilton. The town lies on the River Clyde, at its confluence with Mouse Water. In 2016, the town had a population of 9 ...

and beyond Abington, where it changes into the A74(M). The road then bypasses

Moffat Moffat ( gd, Mofad) is a burgh and parish in Dumfriesshire, now part of the Dumfries and Galloway local authority area in Scotland. It lies on the River Annan, with a population of around 2,500. It was a centre of the wool trade and a spa town. ...

and Lockerbie. The road then shortly enters England before becoming the M6 near Longtown. From Junction 4 southwards it is part of the E05

Euroroute The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads ...

from Greenock to

Algeciras Algeciras ( , ) is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Located in the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, near the Strait of Gibraltar, it is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar ( es, Bahía de Algeci ...

. North from Junction 4, the E05 takes a short stretch of the M73 connecting to the M8 and then proceeds westwards through Glasgow to Greenock.

History

The original M74 – 1960s

The A74 was the original route from Glasgow to Carlisle, where it met the A7 in Carlisle city centre and the A6 south to London. Starting in the 1930s, the single-carriageway road between Gretna and

was progressively upgraded to dual carriageway, being completed in the early 1970s with the completion of the Gretna bypass. At the northern end, it was not possible simply to add to the existing carriageway because of the built-up nature of the area. A bypass was built as one of Scotland's first motorways, the M74, from Draffan to Maryville, north of Uddingston, completed by 1969. Junctions were originally numbered from south to north, which was the normal convention at the time numbers increasing going away from London, as there were no plans to extend the motorway. The northern section around Hamilton was built as three-lane dual carriageway, narrowing to two-lane dual carriageway south of junction 4. It continued as the A74 Dual-Carriageway from Draffan and carrying on to link with the M6 junction 44 at Carlisle.

First extension (1984–1987)

The southern sections, where there was no need to bypass the existing route, were not originally upgraded to motorway standard, but to dual carriageway without hard shoulders or full grade separation. The gradual construction of the M6 from Rugby (where it met the M1 to London) to Carlisle in 1970, where it terminated on the A74, meant that the route from Glasgow to London was entirely dual carriageway. This led to calls for the already dualled A74 from Draffan to the M6 to be upgraded a second time, to motorway standard. As the government had already invested in the dual carriageway upgrade, they initially resisted these calls. In 1972 the Government agreed to extend the M74 from Draffan to today's J12 at Millbank. It was built in three sections, opening 1986–87. It was constructed to dual two-lane standard, and included a bypass of Lesmahagow, as the M74. In 1984, in preparation for the southwards extension, the junction numbers were changed to go from north to south, Raith (junction 5) on the original south to north numbering remained as junction 5, with Maryville (the most northerly junction at that time) becoming junction 4, leaving lesser numbers available for junctions for the expected continuation of the motorway northwards. When the first southern extension opened, Draffan, originally junction 1, ceased to exist and junction 9 (the first junction on the new extension) was and still is only a southbound exit onto the old A74 just south of Blackwood village, to serve the villages of Blackwood, Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow and Coalburn.

1990s extension to Scotland-England Border (1992–1999)

In 1987, the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

committed to upgrading the remaining A74 from J12 to the M6 to motorway standard. When the first section opened, as far south as Abington (J12-J13) in 1991 it was numbered M74. Following this, the government announced that the route would be completed as the M6, as the two motorways would meet head on at Carlisle. The Scottish section of the A74 was then upgraded in sections, not all contiguous, as the A74(M), a temporary number until all the sections were complete, and the English section had been constructed and connected to the M6. They were constructed with dual three-lane carriageways. In 1995 the first northern extension was opened to Fullerton Road in Glasgow, as M74. The A74 upgrades were complete by 1999.

M6 Carlisle – Guards Mill (2004–2008)

Plans to upgrade the English section of A74 (Cumberland Gap) from the Scottish border at Gretna to Carlisle were announced in 2004. Costing £174m, this was constructed as M6 as originally planned in the 1990s, and was opened on 5 December 2008. The project also included the construction of a new bridge crossing the River Esk. This means that there is now a continuous motorway from London to Glasgow, with four numbers (M1, M6, A74(M) and M74).

M74 northern extension to M8 (2008–2011)

Construction on the six-lane M74 Northern Extension (M74 Completion) northwards by through the south-eastern part of Glasgow to meet the M8 started in 2008, with opening on 28 June 2011. The extension involved the demolition of the Rosebery Park football ground. The city centre section is supposed to perform a similar role to the never-built southern flank of the

Glasgow Inner Ring Road The Glasgow Inner Ring Road was a proposed ring road encircling the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. Construction of the roads began in 1965, and half of its circumference was completed by 1972, but no subsequent construction was made and the r ...

planned in the 1960s, and first set out as a scheme in the

Bruce Report The Bruce Report (or the Bruce Plan) is the name commonly given to the ''First Planning Report to the Highways and Planning Committee of the Corporation of the City of Glasgow''Robert Bruce (1945), ''First Planning report to the Highways and Pla ...

of the 1940s, but only half-completed. The scheme was at the centre of a road protest from local campaigners and

environmentalists An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

; their appeal against the road orders collapsed in June 2006. Scottish First Minister

Alex Salmond Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...

officially launched construction on 28 May 2008. Archaeological mitigation was required as part of the project and was one of the largest coordinated series of excavations carried out in an industrial city in Western Europe. Due to the sheer size of the project a joint venture by Headland Archaeology and Pre-Construct Archaeology were responsible for the excavations in 2007 and 2008; during this time eight large former industrial sites were investigated involving more than a hundred archaeologists. Discoveries included the Govan Iron Works and associated workers' housing, the Caledonian Pottery, a block of 19th century tenements, a biscuit factory, urban limeworks and more. Many of the structures were in use into the 20th century. The excavation of both manufacturing and domestic sites provided a unique insight into both how objects were made and how they were used. Finds included stamped bricks from three local manufacturers, bottle and window glass fragments, and pottery stamps or transfer prints with different customer names on them. The motorway construction, initially expected to cost £445 million, ran under-budget at £437 million. The project total is estimated to be £692 million once the cost of purchasing land is included. There was a £12 million allowance for grouting of old mine workings.

East End Regeneration Route

A702 - M74 and A74(M) Road sign - geograph

Construction of the East End Regeneration Route (designated as the A728) made use of existing stretches of road and filler sections on previously derelict land and has the ultimate intention to connect the M74 Northern Extensions with the M8 motorway at the

Provan Gas Works Provan Gas Works is an industrial gas holding plant in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The plant lies between the Blackhill, Glasgow, Blackhill, Blochairn, Germiston, Glasgow, Germiston and Provanmill areas of the city, and was built by Glasgow Cor ...

interchange 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 m ...

. Phase 1 and Phase 2 from the M74 Junction 1A (

) to the A89 west of

Parkhead Parkhead ( sco, Pairkheid) is a district in the East End of Glasgow. Its name comes from a small weaving hamlet at the meeting place of the Great Eastern Road (now the Gallowgate and Tollcross Road) and Westmuir Street. Glasgow's Eastern Necrop ...

began in 2008 and was completed in 2012, but Phase 3 from Parkhead to the M80 did not follow as planned. Although plans were approved in early 2016, construction did not commence; in 2021, it was confirmed that the project was still under consideration by the council despite funding problems and opposition on environmental grounds.

Star of Caledonia

A new sculpture is planned near Gretna called the '' Star of Caledonia''. One intention is for it to be viewed from the motorway, although there will be no motorway signs to indicate the structure.

Naming confusion

The motorway is usually referred to as the M74, but south of Abington it is the A74(M), as noted on each sign, save for one erroneous "M74" sign at

Gretna Green Gretna Green is a parish in the southern council area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, on the Scottish side of the border between Scotland and England, defined by the small river Sark, which flows into the nearby Solway Firth. It was histori ...

services. As the motorway is one continuous route and has a continuous junction numbering system, its entirety is usually erroneously referred to as M74. Typically, upgraded A-road designations like A74(M) are retained for short bypasses of existing road, whereas the M74/A74(M) is one continuous intercity route. When the A74(M) was constructed in the 1990s, many of the signs were given patches with the A74(M) number: these patches can be peeled away to reveal "M6" underneath. One such sign, at the VOSA checkpoint at Beattock summit, states that it is the "M6 South", instead of the "A74 (M) South". This left an anomaly – the M74 began at Glasgow, then at J13 changed to A74(M) for the to the border. Meanwhile, the English section of A74 was not upgraded due to lack of funds, leaving the "Cumberland Gap" of dual carriageway between the three-lane motorways. Until around 1996, the change of designation to M6 once the Cumberland Gap had been closed was definite. When the Scottish Executive was established in 1999, taking over responsibility for roads in Scotland,

Sarah Boyack Sarah Herriot Boyack (born 16 May 1961) is a Scottish Labour politician who has served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Lothian region since 2019, and previously from 2011 to 2016. She formerly represented the Edinburgh Cent ...

said that "We have no current plans to rename or redesignate the M74 or A74(M) motorways between Glasgow and the border as the M6".

Junction renumbering

When the original motorway sections were built in the 1960s, the motorway was numbered south-to-north, with Draffan at its southern terminus with the A74 dual carriageway being junction 1 and Maryville junction 6. When the M74 was to be extended south of Draffan in the 1980s, it was renumbered, in 1984 in preparation for the opening of the southern extension, north-to-south. The Raith or Raith remained as J5, while Maryville became J4, allowing for later extension northwards, towards Glasgow. The original junction 1 at Draffan was closed, with the first new junction 9 (Blackwood) replacing it, using the southbound carriageway of the old A74 as a slip road. The remains of the semicircular access road to the southbound carriageway are still visible at Draffan Road, with the Blackwood slip road now used as an access road to new housing. In preparation for the extension to meet the M8 south of the Kingston Bridge, in 2010, junctions 1–3 of the First Northern Extension, were renumbered 2A, 3 and 3A to accommodate the new junctions.

Junctions

File:Cambuslang from the air (geograph 5374281).jpg, M74 through Cambuslang File:Road, rail and river from the air (geograph 5716630).jpg, M73 and M74 File:Blantyre and the River Clyde from the air (geograph 5716664).jpg, M74 by Blantyre and the River Clyde File:The M74 Junction 6 (Hamilton) from the air (geograph 5719064).jpg, The M74 Junction 6 (Hamilton) {, 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="2" ,

, rowspan="5" ,

, 0 , 0 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 1 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , – Greenock, Renfrew , bgcolor="ffdddd" , No exit to M8 Northbound, no entrance from M8 Eastbound , - , 1.6 , 2.6 , 1a , – Southside Central,

Hutchesontown Hutchesontown is an inner-city area in Glasgow, Scotland. Mostly residential, it is situated directly south of the River Clyde and forms part of the wider historic Gorbals district, which is covered by the Southside Central ward under Glasgow C ...

, , - , South Lanarkshire , 3.4 , 5.5 , 2 , – Cambuslang,

Dalmarnock Dalmarnock (, gd, Dail Mheàrnaig) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated east of the city centre, directly north of the River Clyde opposite the town of Rutherglen. It is also bounded by the Glasgow neighbourhoods of P ...

, , - , rowspan="3" ,

, 4.6 , 7.4 , 2a , – Cambuslang,

Lilybank Lilybank is a neighbourhood in the east of Glasgow, Scotland. Neighbouring areas Newbank to the west, Braidfauld to the east and the eastern part of Parkhead to the north. The A74 London Road runs to the south, with the land on the opposite si ...

, , - , 5.0 , 8.1 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 3 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , – Cambuslang, Barlanark , bgcolor="ffdddd" , No Eastbound exit or Westbound exit , - , rowspan="3" ,

, 6.9 , 11.1 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 3a , bgcolor="ffdddd" , – Central Glasgow
– Bellshill , bgcolor="ffdddd" , No Eastbound Exit , - , rowspan="10" , South Lanarkshire , 7.4 , 11.9 , 4 , –

Bargeddie Bargeddie (; gd, Bàrr Geadaidh) is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, just inside the suburban fringe of Glasgow, east of the city centre, and close to the junction of the M73 motorway, M73 and M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 motorways. The n ...

Gartcosh Gartcosh (Scottish Gaelic: ''Gart Cois'') is a village in North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The village lies a few miles east of Glasgow, and about northwest of the town of Coatbridge. According to a 2012 estimate, the population of Gartcosh was 2,13 ...

, , - , 10.3 , 16.6 , 5 , – Bellshill,

East Kilbride East Kilbride (; gd, Cille Bhrìghde an Ear ) is the largest town in South Lanarkshire in Scotland and the country's sixth-largest locality by population. It was also designated Scotland's first new town on 6 May 1947. The area lies on a rais ...

, , - ,

, 12.3 , 19.9 , 6 , – Motherwell,

, , - , rowspan="2" ,

, 15.1 , 24.3 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 7 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , – Motherwell,

, bgcolor="ffdddd" , No Southbound entrance or Northbound exit , - , 18.1 , 29.1 , 8 , –

Newmains Newmains is a village and former mining community on the eastern edge of Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, Scotland, south-east of Glasgow. Although it is considered by the local authority to have a town centre in its own right. History The story of a ...

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 ...

Strathaven Strathaven (; from gd, Strath Aibhne ) is a historic market town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland and is the largest settlement in Avondale. It is south of Hamilton. The Powmillon Burn runs through the town centre, and joins the Avon Water to the ...

, , - , rowspan="2" , Kirkmuirhill , 21.7 , 34.9 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 9 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , B7078– Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow , bgcolor="ffdddd" , Southbound exit only , - , 23.4 , 37.7 , 10 , B7078– Kirkmuirhill, Lesmahagow , , - , rowspan="3" , — , 28.1 , 45.2 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 11 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , B7078– Lesmahagow , bgcolor="ffdddd" , No Southbound entrance or Northbound exit , - , 29.4 , 47.4 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , 12 , bgcolor="ffdddd" , B7078– Lesmahagow , bgcolor="ffdddd" , No Northbound entrance or Southbound exit , - , 36.8 , 59.3 , bgcolor="ddffdd" , 13 , bgcolor="ddffdd" , B7078– Lesmahagow
– Abington, Biggar , bgcolor="ddffdd" , Road continues as A74(M) ;Coordinate list
{, style="margin:auto; text-align:center; color:black; font-size:95%;" class="wikitable" , - style="background:#0080d0; text-align:center; color:white; font-size:120%;" , colspan="3" , A74(M) motorway , - style="background:#000; text-align:center; color:white;" , Northbound exits , Junction , Southbound exits , - style="text-align:center;" , Edinburgh A702
Lanark (A73)
'' Abington services'' , J13 , ''Road continues as A74(M)'' , - style="text-align:center;" , Crawford A702 Thornhill ( A76), Crawfordjohn , J14 , Crawford A702 Thornhill (A76), Crawfordjohn , - style="text-align:center;" ,

, Dumfries A701, Selkirk ( A708) , J15 , Dumfries, Moffat A701, Selkirk (A708) , - style="text-align:center;" , Johnstonebridge B7076
'' Annandale Water Services'' , J16/Services , Johnstonebridge B7076
''Annandale Water Services'' , - style="text-align:center;" , Lockerbie B7068 , J17 , Lockerbie B7068 Dumfries ( A709) , - style="text-align:center;" , Lockerbie B723 Dumfries (A709) , J18 , ''No access'' , - style="text-align:center;" ,

Ecclefechan Ecclefechan (Scottish Gaelic: ''Eaglais Fheichein'') is a small village located in Dumfries and Galloway in the south of Scotland. The village is famous for being the birthplace of Thomas Carlyle. Ecclefechan lies in the valley of the Mein Wate ...

B7076 , J19 , Ecclefechan B7076 , - style="text-align:center;" , Eaglesfield, Annan B722 , J20 , Eaglesfield, Annan,

Kirtlebridge Kirtlebridge is a village in Dumfries and Galloway, southern Scotland. It is located north-east of Annan, north-west of Kirkpatrick-Fleming, and south of Eaglesfield. The village is located where the A74(M) motorway and the West Coast Main ...

B722 , - style="text-align:center;" ,

Kirkpatrick Fleming Kirkpatrick-Fleming (Scottish Gaelic: Cill Phàdraig) is a village and civil parish in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is located between the Kirtle Water and the A74(M) motorway, the Solway Firth, and the Cumbrian hills are visib ...

B7076
Canonbie B6357 , J21 , Canonbie B6357
Kirtlebridge, Kirkpatrick Fleming B7076 , - style="text-align:center;" , '' Gretna Green Services'' , Services , '' Gretna Green Services'' , - , Dumfries, Stranraer, Gretna A75 , J22 , Longtown ( A6071)
Gretna,

B7076 , - style="text-align:center;" , ''Entry into Scotland'' , ''Border'' , ''Entry into England'' , - , ''Start of A74(M) motorway'' , M6 J45 , continues as the M6 to Carlisle, Penrith and The South

References

External links

Scottish Roads Archive - the M74 Motorway

CONSTRUCTION OF M74 MOTORWAY (1966)
(archive film from the National Library of Scotland: SCOTTISH SCREEN ARCHIVE)

Official sites on the upgrades

Northern extension

Southern extension

Public Inquiry findings

Other sites

JAM74: Joint Action against the M74

Friends of the Earth: Stop Motorway Madness

BBC NEWS , UK , Scotland , Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West , Final go-ahead for M74 extension

M74-M8 Interchange – Clyde Waterfront regeneration
{{DEFAULTSORT:A74(M) And M74 Motorways 7-0074 7-0074 Public inquiries in the United Kingdom 7-0074 7-0074 7-0074