2. The M74 - From Roman Road to Multi-lane Motorway

In this episode of the Scottish Roadscast we are talking all things M74. We take a journey through the history of the route and consider its development from single track road to multi-lane motorway in less than 80 years! With all new facts and figures, t

[@gaoeykreg]

Great talk chaps!

[@andrewmcivor42]

An interesting podcast - I can (vaguely) remember travelling on the older sections of the A74 in the early 80s (mainly 80/81) & also remember driving South a few times in the 1990s when the motorway upgrade was being carried out. Interesting what you said about the work being progressively moved onto the new road - I can remember the traffic flowing pretty well, despite the roadworks. I certainly never decided to go down the East side on the A1 - dreadful road, only been on it 2 or 3 times!
I've often thought the older 2 lane section from Hamilton to Millbank is a bottleneck - sadly, as you said, it's probably never going to be widened now. I normally stop at Cairn Lodge after using it (great service area, by the way - now owned by the same folk that run Tebay services) & go straight onto the 3 lane section, which is a lovely drive (if a bit boring further South).
The last section built (the 18 mile stretch from Paddy's Rickle over Beattock) has a viaduct that reminds me a bit of the A9 viaduct over Killiecrankie, impressive structure.
Can also remember the M74 extension being opened in 2011 - the same year I started working in Glasgow! Was very useful to me, driving from Inverness to Shawlands, even today (not in Glasgow now) I'll often take the M73/M74 to access Glasgow, rather than the M80/M8 - it's a hugely important road

[@Woody93185]

I thought a part of the B7078 was still a duel 2 road but I may have that totally wrong lol

[@ronniel5941]

The extremely long 2 inch wide tape of Ross tartan that Willie Ross MP cut to open M74 Stage 1 was laboriously cut from a full width bolt of tartan cloth, in BSM’s office. What was left was made into several kilts.