Construction work on the road has commenced and is scheduled for completion in 2011.
The contract for the construction and the 30 year operation & maintenance period was awarded to Highway Management (Scotland) Ltd. The contract is valued at approximately £320 million.
The new scheme can be considered as three discrete sections:
Stepps to Mollinsburn
Mollinsburn to Auchenkilns
Auchenkilns to Haggs
Stepps to Mollinsburn
Approximately 8km diverging from the existing M80 at Stepps, passing through agricultural land to the north of Muirhead, Moodiesburn and Chryston and rejoining the route of the existing A80 at Mollinsburn.
The new section of this road will enable drivers to travel along a stretch of fit for purpose motorway, taking traffic off the local community roads.
The section includes:
- A dual two-lane carriageway (each, 7.3m wide), with hard shoulders (3.3m wide), a central reserve (4.0m wide) and roadside verges (a minimum of 1.5m wide).
- A new Interchange at Mollinsburn, with realigned side roads and three new overbridges.
- New overbridges and underpasses at Hornshill Junction, Drumsack Road, Lindsaybeg Road, Strathkelvin Railway Path and Auchengeich Road.
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Mollinsburn to Auchenkilns
Approximately 2.7km of upgraded road along the route of the existing A80, extending from Mollinsburn to tie-in to the western side of Auchenkilns Junction.
This section includes:
- A dual three-lane carriageway (each, 11m wide) between Mollinsburn Interchange and Low Wood and a dual two-lane carriageway (each, 7.3m wide) between Low Wood and Auchenkilns Junction, with hard shoulders (3.3m wide, except at the retained Low Wood structures), a central reserve (4m wide) and roadside verges (a minimum of 1.5m wide).
- Improvements to Low Wood Junction and closure of Dalshannon Junction.
- Reconstruction of North Road Overbridge across the M80 along its existing alignment and reconstruction of two water courses, including the Luggie Water.
- Retention of Kirk Place Footbridge and the Low Wood North and South structures.
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Auchenkilns to Haggs
Approximately 7.3km of upgraded road extending from the east.
This section includes:
- A dual two-lane carriageway (each, 7.3m wide) with a climbing lane on the eastbound carriageway between Castlecary and the tie-in at Haggs (resulting in an 11m-wide carriageway) and a climbing lane on the westbound carriageway between Castlecary and Old Inns (resulting in a 11m-wide carriageway), with hard shoulders (3.3 metres wide where feasible), a central reserve (4m wide) and roadside verges (a minimum of 1.5m wide). At Castlecary Viaduct, emergency access lanes (3m wide) will diverge from the main carriageway, passing around the back of the viaduct piers.
- Reconstruction of Glenview Avenue Overbridge.
- Retention of Ravenswood Footbridge, Castlecary Overbridge, the Forth and Clyde Canal crossing and Kilsyth Road Overbridge.
Retention and widening of all other structures, including three overbridges and three pedestrian underpasses.
In addition to the above works, the following components will be included throughout the scheme:
- Construction of a road drainage system with ponds for the treatment of surface water run-off and accidental spills.
- Construction of noise reduction screening (substantial fences and/or earthworks) and the use of low noise road surfacing.
- Extensive landscape planting.
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