M80 Stepps to Haggs is a vital infrastructure project on the strategic road network between Glasgow, Stirling and the North East.
It is one of the most heavily used roads in Scotland, carrying both strategic and commuter traffic.
The M80 Stepps to Haggs project is delivering significant economic, environmental and safety benefits, by improving road safety and access to the north and south of the country. Reflecting the Government’s strategic objectives of wealthier and fairer, safer and stronger and greener, the M80 Stepps to Haggs upgrade has produced the following benefits:
Economy
- Improved journey times and reliability, with a 30-40% reduction in journey times during peak travel, equating to a reduction of approximately 15 minutes for people using the route
- More efficient use of the network, reducing delay and thereby improving journey time reliability
- Improving access to facilities, in particular to jobs, and providing accessibility for freight deliveries, consistent with the strategic role of the scheme corridor (linking the North of Scotland with the M74 south, the main route to the European markets)
- Completing the Central Scotland motorway network by improving the road corridor in line with Transport Scotland's integrated transport policy and the Scottish Ministers' response to the Central Scotland Transport Corridor Study (CSTCS)
Safety
- Reducing motorway congestion and lessening driver frustration
- Improving safety in this trunk road corridor and reducing the risk of accidents, between vehicles and between vehicles and other road users
- Improving safety for vehicles entering and exiting the M80 and other road users by bypassing the most urban section of the previous A80 route
- Improved access to and from the strategic road network for the local area, particularly to Cumbernauld
Environment
- Contributing to the Government’s objective of striving to stabilise traffic volumes by the year 2021
- Reducing traffic noise
- The improved design and more effective management of the network is reducing the adverse impacts of the current traffic on the local community and lessening the impact on the built and natural
- Reducing vehicle emissions and promoting a healthier environment
- Adopting the use of materials and construction methods to minimise the impact on the environment and local communities, and continuing to encourage this approach in operation and maintenance of the road network
