Briefing: Glasgow motorway system – geometric design and outcome

Abstract

In 1963, the corporation of the city of Glasgow approved plans for 96 km of motorways. To date, 2017, 48 km have been constructed. These are on a grand scale, with 5 km of dual five-lane, 2 km of dual four-lane and over 25 km of dual three-lane motorways. Traffic flows as high as 198 000 vehicles/d have been recorded. Savings of time, accidents and fuel have been realised as a result. The main focus of this briefing paper is the geometric design of the motorways. Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick and Partners, consulting engineers, were responsible for this work. Much emphasis is placed on motorway traffic volumes. This is because road user benefits are directly related to the amount of traffic diverted to the motorways. Also, predicted traffic was a primary factor in the outline design of the motorways.