M74 Extension - your views?
Discussion
Now that it has been opened for a couple of months, schools are back, and holiday season is over, I was wondering what folks thoughts were on the new extension?
Speed wise, I have noticed a huge police, marked and unmarked, presence on it and it looks like they are wanting to clamp down heavily straight away. When I take the M8 through Glasgow and go through the 50 stretch from Kingston Bridge out to the M80, I regularly travel at up to 70 if traffic and conditions permit. But on the M74, I am a definite mimser in comparison! Don't know if its just down to seeing so much police presence?
Junction wise, I join at Uddingston and come off at Tradeston. The road from Tradeston down to Paisley Road is poor, having to drop to one lane due to the Kingston Bridge concrete supports and this causes some morning road rage, jams and all in hassle. So I now come off the other way and traffic flows easily.
Coming off at Uddingston in the evening, the traffic is regularly queued down the sliproad and I think they may need to think about peak traffic lights here - is it my imagination or is there a lot more northbound traffic coming off at this junction than used to?
And to all those tree huggers (probably not on here), before this opened my journey from Holytown to centre of Glasgow used to either take in the M8 or the various back roads, London Road etc. On my daily commute I used to get between 38 and 40mpg for that journey. Now I am getting between 48-51mpg, the time has been cut to sub half hour and its a lot more stress free!
Speed wise, I have noticed a huge police, marked and unmarked, presence on it and it looks like they are wanting to clamp down heavily straight away. When I take the M8 through Glasgow and go through the 50 stretch from Kingston Bridge out to the M80, I regularly travel at up to 70 if traffic and conditions permit. But on the M74, I am a definite mimser in comparison! Don't know if its just down to seeing so much police presence?
Junction wise, I join at Uddingston and come off at Tradeston. The road from Tradeston down to Paisley Road is poor, having to drop to one lane due to the Kingston Bridge concrete supports and this causes some morning road rage, jams and all in hassle. So I now come off the other way and traffic flows easily.
Coming off at Uddingston in the evening, the traffic is regularly queued down the sliproad and I think they may need to think about peak traffic lights here - is it my imagination or is there a lot more northbound traffic coming off at this junction than used to?
And to all those tree huggers (probably not on here), before this opened my journey from Holytown to centre of Glasgow used to either take in the M8 or the various back roads, London Road etc. On my daily commute I used to get between 38 and 40mpg for that journey. Now I am getting between 48-51mpg, the time has been cut to sub half hour and its a lot more stress free!
When are the temp restrictions being taken off the M74 extension? It seems silly to have to go at 50/60 on a wide motorway when you can go at 70 on some of the UK's dodgy A roads. It's weird driving along such a wide and quiet road with people doing 60 when you then go on the A8 and people are doing 80+
Great improvement to my journey times in the morning. I used to come off at the Fort (junction 10) as it used to queue all the way in to town from here. Now it moves freely until 13 and I come off at 16.
Seems that a lot of folk now cut off the M8, down the M73 and take the M74 in to town.
Suits me!
Seems that a lot of folk now cut off the M8, down the M73 and take the M74 in to town.
Suits me!
Andrew[MG] said:
When are the temp restrictions being taken off the M74 extension? It seems silly to have to go at 50/60 on a wide motorway when you can go at 70 on some of the UK's dodgy A roads. It's weird driving along such a wide and quiet road with people doing 60 when you then go on the A8 and people are doing 80+
I don't think they are temp limits? The M8 is down to 60 and 50 for most of its "city" stretch and of course the M77 is 50mph, only increasing to 70mph when it leaves the Mearns.Pro's.
Well laid surface, clear of traffic, much easier to deal with than rush hour M8 city traffic, gives the bucket better mpg.
Con's.
Full of MLM's, the M77 link really needs a re-think as it's clogged at busy times.
The police presence doesnt bother me, dont drive with on your mobile or take the piss and you shouldnt get pulled.
I loved it for my summer job, M8, m73, m74 in the morning was clear and free flowing, so much better than just sitting in the m8.
Well laid surface, clear of traffic, much easier to deal with than rush hour M8 city traffic, gives the bucket better mpg.
Con's.
Full of MLM's, the M77 link really needs a re-think as it's clogged at busy times.
The police presence doesnt bother me, dont drive with on your mobile or take the piss and you shouldnt get pulled.
I loved it for my summer job, M8, m73, m74 in the morning was clear and free flowing, so much better than just sitting in the m8.
Commuting Coatbridge to Govan is now so much easier and reliable! I tend to go A8-M73-M74-M8 both directions, the better surface makes my car a bit quieter. Plus, sticking to the limit means i now get over 55mpg.
Downsides: I agree with the terrible lane discipline, never seen any police presence on it yet though.
Downsides: I agree with the terrible lane discipline, never seen any police presence on it yet though.
Drove along it this evening at 5 pm and noticed that on the northbound carriageway, our old friends in the unmarked 3 series BMW had actually parked their car behind the crash barrier (where there is a split) and were crouched down on the passenger side with the radar gun in hand , aiming at the drivers coming down the hill in the 50 zone.
Seeing the speed that some cars were coming along, especially a black pick up truck, I don't think they would have had to wait long for their first victim.
Seeing the speed that some cars were coming along, especially a black pick up truck, I don't think they would have had to wait long for their first victim.
Craigie said:
Drove along it this evening at 5 pm and noticed that on the northbound carriageway, our old friends in the unmarked 3 series BMW had actually parked their car behind the crash barrier (where there is a split)
I've seen them there a few times. It's just a shame such a nice new, safe road is 50-60 limits.
Lane discipline is dreadful, I was almost wiped out twice on the same day, 1st by an idiot joining from the slip roads and next by a blind lunatic who wanted to go onto the M8 but was in the Kinning Park lane....all this was middle of the day, not even rush hour. The M77 junction is the worst part of it, there will be a few nasty bumps before the authorities do something about it
Gassing Station | Scotland | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff