M74 Completion case studies

M74 Completion offers Fresh start to Morrisons Scotland operation

The new M74 route connecting Lanarkshire with the west of Scotland is set to slash supermarket giant Morrisons’ battles through bottlenecks at the Kingston Bridge by 75 per cent.

From its main Scottish distribution hub in Bellshill, Morrisons currently covers a massive 275,000 kms every week delivering supplies to all of its 57 Scottish stores.

However, bosses at the depot are convinced the opening of the M74 Completion on June 28 will spell significant savings for the company and will mean goods reach stores in the central belt and  the west much faster.

It will also dramatically slash the number of trucks pounding their way over the Kingston Bridge. With Morrisons units crossing the bridge up to 100 times every day at present and being caught up in eastbound bottlenecks, the new road will mean far fewer trucks having to take this route, resulting in a significant savings on congestion, time, fuel and emissions.

Transport General Manager Alan Haggarty said drivers at the depot are eagerly awaiting the opening of the new route.

He added: “Early morning deliveries to our stores isn’t too bad on the way there, but on the way back to the depot after making their deliveries, it can mean we can have up to a dozen units stuck in rush hour traffic.

“This isn’t just bad news for us, as our trucks are sitting idle – it’s also contributing to the congestion problem itself.

“For a business like ours, it’s vital we work out, as accurately as possible, how long our units are going to be on the road.

“During peak times, it is almost impossible to accurately gauge how long a delivery is going to take. At the moment, we have to give almost 100 per cent allowance for journeys which take in known areas of congestion such as the M8 and the Kinsgston Bridge.

“This means for a journey which should take around 10 minutes, we have to build in an allowance of double that, and even then it’s frequently not accurate.

“Our fleet currently does around 275,000kms a week from this depot all over Scotland and a lot of that is in and around the Central Belt.

“Our trucks cross the Kingston Bridge 80 to 96 times a day, but once the new road opens, we anticipate this number falling dramatically.

“We can’t wait – our drivers will be in and out of the depot quicker, we’ll be using much less fuel and there’ll be fewer emissions from idling vehicles.”

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“The M74 Completion scheme will take approximately 20,000 vehicles per day off the M8 between Baillieston and Charing Cross and will cut 5 – 10 minutes off peak hour journey times across and through Glasgow. 

“This reduction in queuing on the Kingston Bridge coupled with the saving in fuel is great news for the many businesses who use the central Scotland motorway network. It will allow them to get their goods to market quicker, more efficiently while also cutting their carbon footprint with less emissions from idling engines.”

Glasgow the Caring City

Local charity Glasgow the Caring City has been reaching out to children in crisis for 12 years from its Castlemilk base. Co-ordinating aid for communities around Scotland as well as oversees, the charity’s two lease vehicles are kept more than busy.

Glasgow the Caring City provides humanitarian aid wherever help is needed, at home and abroad, and relies on volunteers to support its important work.

This month, the charity relocates to new premises in Shawfield and deliberately chose the location for its proximity to the M74 corridor.

Logistics play a key role in the organisation’s operation, and the new M74 Completion will not only keep Glasgow the Caring City connected, but help the charity drive down its overheads and help support its environmental aims.

Vans, driven by volunteers, clock up hundreds of miles every week collecting donations and distributing aid to the neediest areas of the country.

Project Manager Ross Galbraith is confident about the benefits of relocating. He said:

“Our main resource is our volunteers and, in terms of accessibility and public transport links, the new base in Shawfield puts us in a great position for attracting new people and skills.

“Being so close to the new stretch of the M74 will drastically cut our travel and fuel costs, meaning we can get closer to our goal of using every penny donated for charitable causes.

“In addition, our new base will mean we will be increasingly accessible to other businesses and will allow us to have more interaction with individuals and other organisations.

“Our overall aim for this move is to achieve wider brand recognition, inspiring more people to find out more about our organisation and its work.”

One aspect of the charity’s operation is diverting clothes and footwear deemed surplus to requirements by the retail industry from being consigned to landfill.. A recent salvage operation saw 3,000 pairs of shoes unfit for sale because of a minor defect saved from the scrapheap and redistributed to vulnerable children in crisis areas. Glasgow the Caring City also co-ordinated the West Coast of Scotland’s response to the Haiti earthquake disaster in 2010.

William Wilson

Delays at the Kingston Bridge and continual hold ups on Glasgow streets had driven one local bathroom and plumbing supplies company round the bend. 

Established in 1900, William Wilson is one of the UK's leading suppliers of plumbing, heating and bathroom supplies and operates via a network of 21 trade branches across the country.

The company employs more than 350 staff and distributes bathroom, plumbing and heating products to plumbing and heating contractors the length and breadth of Scotland, as well as to the north of England from its bases in Liverpool and Manchester.

Now the opening of the M74 Completion on June 28 is set to bring a fresh flush of success to the company, speeding up deliveries and cutting costs.

William Wilson’s MacLellan Street depot in the Kinning Park area of Glasgow operates a single van, which distributes throughout Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire.

Branch manager John Houston said:

“The opening of the new M74 will make a huge difference to us. Not having to cross the Kingston Bridge alone will save us hours of travel time every week.

“When we’re going out to places like Rutherglen or Cambuslang, a job which may have taken us a couple of hours by having to use the city streets,  can now be done in around 10 or 15 minutes – it’s going to be a real bonus for us.

“But it’s not just our own people who will benefit. There’s no doubt the opening of the road will also make it much easier for customers to come to us.

“Rather than having to negotiate city streets like Paisley Road West, customers will be able to use the new M74 and come in at Scotland Street, which makes our branch much more accessible.

“Our customers and staff are all very enthusiastic about it and we’re confident it will provide some real, tangible benefits for our business.”