View source for A8 road (Scotland)

{{Short description|Road in Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2013}}
{{Infobox road
| country=SCT
| type         = A
| route        = 8   
| length_mi    = 42.9
|map=[[File:A8 road map.png|200px]]|map_custom=yes
| direction_a  = East
| direction_b  = West
| terminus_a   = [[Edinburgh]]<br>{{coord|55.9501|-3.2076|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=A8 road (eastern end)}}
| destinations = [[Greenock]], [[Glasgow Airport]], [[Glasgow]], [[Livingston, West Lothian|Livingston]], [[Edinburgh]]
| terminus_b   = [[Greenock]]<br>{{coord|55.9487|-4.7565|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=A8 road (western end)}}
| junction     = [[File:UK-Motorway-M9.svg|1000x20px]] [[M9 motorway (Scotland)|M9 motorway]]<br />{{jct|country=GBR|M|73|dab1=Great Britain}}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|1|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|7|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|70|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|720|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|73|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|74|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|77|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|78|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|80|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|89|name1= }}<br />{{jct|country=GBR|A|90|name1= }}
| e-road       = {{Jct|country=EUR|E|05}}
| previous_type = A
| previous_route = 7
| next_type = A
| next_route = 9
}}
The '''A8''' is a major road in [[Scotland]], connecting [[Edinburgh]] to [[Greenock]] via [[Glasgow]]. Its importance diminished following the construction of the [[M8 motorway (Scotland)|M8 motorway]] which also covers the route between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

==Route and relationship to M8==
===Edinburgh===
The A8 begins at the West End of Edinburgh, in the [[New Town, Edinburgh|New Town]]. The road originally also included [[Princes Street]], but this stretch was declassified, as Princes Street is no longer open to all traffic.

The road continues westwards into the suburbs of the city passing [[Murrayfield]] and [[Corstorphine]], often with an accompanying bus lane. Only once the road reaches the [[A720 road|A720 City Bypass]] does it become a [[primary route]], leading out past the [[Royal Highland Showground]] at [[Ingliston]], and [[Edinburgh Airport]].

At [[Newbridge, Edinburgh|Newbridge]], the A8 meets the start of the M8 and [[M9 motorway (Scotland)|M9]] motorways. From here the A8 is interrupted; it has been renumbered [[A89 road|A89]] until [[Bathgate]], [[A7066 road|A7066]] to [[Whitburn, West Lothian|Whitburn]] and then [[B7066 road|B7066]] Harthill, until it resumes at [[Newhouse, North Lanarkshire|Newhouse]].

===Glasgow===
From Newhouse it runs parallel to the M8. Until recently there was no road of motorway standard between Newhouse and [[Baillieston]] in the eastern suburbs of Glasgow, and the A8 still carried all through traffic here, having been progressively upgraded to meet demand.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-11991702 Missing link to be finished on M8 motorway], BBC News, 14 December 2010</ref> However it was finally replaced in 2017 by the last section of the M8.<ref>[https://www.goconstruct.org/why-choose-construction/whats-happening-in-construction/m8-m73-m74-motorway-improvements-in-scotland/ M8, M73, M74 motorway improvements in Scotland], Go Construct, 21 December 2020</ref> It is now the principal non-motorway access between the [[Eurocentral]] business park and the settlements of [[Chapelhall]] and [[Calderbank]], south of [[Airdrie, North Lanarkshire|Airdrie]].

Just prior to Junction 8 of the M8 it diverges from the motorway, and meets the [[A89 road (Scotland)|A89]] at [[Bargeddie]] while co-existing as the interchange for the M8 and [[M73 motorway|M73]]. At a roundabout near [[Swinton, Glasgow|Swinton]] it briefly merges with the A89 and heads towards central Glasgow. The A8 now passes through suburban [[Garrowhill]], [[Barlanark]], [[Wellhouse]], [[Springboig]], [[Cranhill]] and [[Carntyne]] as Edinburgh Road – much of which is a two/three-lane dual-carriageway, but an urban {{convert|30|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} restriction is still applied – then past [[Haghill]] and [[Dennistoun]] as Alexandra Parade into the city centre at [[Glasgow Royal Infirmary]] and [[Glasgow Cathedral]], where it follows the [[High Street, Glasgow|High Street]] and then the [[Saltmarket]] running north–south – meeting the A89 (Gallowgate) and the [[A749 road|A749]] (London Road) at [[Glasgow Cross]]. It splits for the complex one-way system, recombining prior to the junction at the start of the [[A814 road|A814]] that heads west along the [[River Clyde|Clyde]], before crossing the river near [[Gorbals|The Gorbals]], where it meets the end of the [[A74 road|A74]].

From there the A8 leads out of town through [[Tradeston]], [[Kingston, Glasgow|Kingston]] (passing under the M8's [[Kingston Bridge, Glasgow|Kingston Bridge]]) [[Kinning Park]], [[Cessnock, Glasgow|Cessnock]] and [[Ibrox, Glasgow|Ibrox]] as Paisley Road West, changing to Edmiston Drive past [[Ibrox Stadium]], then through [[Drumoyne]] and [[Shieldhall]] as Shieldhall Road, [[Braehead]] as Renfrew Road and the town centre of [[Renfrew, Scotland|Renfrew]] as Glasgow Road, Glebe Street and Inchinnan Road, passing to the rear of [[Glasgow Airport]] at [[Inchinnan]], crossing over the M8 east of [[Bishopton, Renfrewshire|Bishopton]] and meeting it again at the motorway's western end, Junction 31 between Bishopton and [[Langbank]].

The A8 becomes the primary route again and takes traffic through [[Port Glasgow]]. Its terminus is in Greenock at a large [[roundabout]] with the [[A78 road]] and the A770 to [[Gourock]], which was the former terminus of the A8.

== A8(M) motorway ==
{{infobox road
|country=GBR
|type=AM
|route=8
|alternate_name=Baillieston Link
|map={{maplink-road|from=A8(M) motorway.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=A8(M) highlighted in blue
|length_mi=0.2
|direction_a=East
|terminus_a=[[Baillieston Roundabout]]
|destinations=[[Baillieston]]
|terminus_b=[[Swinton Roundabout]]
|direction_b=West
|established=2016
|history=Construction 2015-2017
}}
The '''A8(M)''' is a motorway in [[Glasgow]], Scotland. 

It was opened in 2016 after the [[Scottish Government]] proposed that the Baillieston Roundabout should be the [[motorway standard]] and that the A8 was not up to motorway standards.

Work on its construction started in early 2015 to upgrade the road. It is the shortest motorway in the United Kingdom. There is no signage of the A8(M) but signposted as the [[A8 road (Scotland)|A8]] link from the [[M73 motorway|M73]] and [[M8 motorway (Scotland)|M8]].<ref>[http://www.transport.gov.scot/system/files/documents/tsc-basic-pages/M8_Baillieston_to_Newhouse_-_Made_orders_-_Final_-_M8_Road_Order__OPSI_version__-_10_March__2011.pdf Road order] at Transport Scotland</ref> 

It does however retain its motorway status.
==Euroroute designations==
Three short stretches of the A8 are part of three different [[International E-road network|Euroroute]]s, as follows:

* The stretch from the western end of the M8 into Greenock is part of the [[European route E05|E05]].
* Between M8 Junctions 6 and 7 is part of the [[European route E16|E16]].
* A very short stretch linking the [[A720 road|A720]] and [[A902 road|A902]] is part of the [[European route E15|E15]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{commonscat-inline}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
*[http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/?title=A8 A8 at ''Roader's Digest'' (SABRE)]
*[http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/maps/?view=A8 SABRE – Map and photos of A8]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071227053633/http://www.road-to-nowhere.co.uk/route-guides/A8/ Road to Nowhere – A8]

{{UK primary routes 8}}
{{Motorways in the United Kingdom}}
{{Transport in Edinburgh}}
{{Transport in Glasgow}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:8-0008}}
[[Category:Roads in Scotland]]
[[Category:Transport in Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Transport in North Lanarkshire]]
[[Category:Transport in Glasgow]]
[[Category:Transport in Renfrewshire]]
[[Category:Transport in Inverclyde]]
[[Category:Greenock]]
[[Category:Port Glasgow]]
[[Category:Renfrew]]
[[Category:Govan]]
[[Category:Gorbals]]
[[Category:Baillieston]]
[[Category:Coatbridge]]
[[Category:New Town, Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Corstorphine]]