M74 extension thread

scallopboy · M74 extension thread

As the buildings get knocked down and the building work starts, post your piccies here for posterity.

ex-tobester

Ill monitor Cambuslang and ask the guys in work to keep me up to speed with that area

james73

East End Regeneration Route, joining the M8 to the M74

James H

james73

From http://www.futureglasgow.co.uk/

>>> Route Image <<<

James H

glasgowken

Weird seeing that bridge near Eglinton Toll

cybers

glasgowken

He's lost

Len Scaps

james73

Greens blasted over M74 delay bid

A BID to delay Glasgow's M74 extension was today condemned by city council
leader Steven Purcell.

The Green Party is backing a legal challenge to the motorway extension
brought by a mystery city resident.

Glasgow MSP Patrick Harvie said he supported the complaint to the European Commission.

The complaint attacks the bidding process to build the missing link, saying
it contravenes a directive to ensure competition and drive down prices for
public work.

Mr Harvie said: "There were originally two bids which were in competition
and they merged to become one bid.

"That means there's a lack of competition, making it impossible to ensure
best value for money."

Mr Harvie claimed the £500million project would cause social and
environmental harm.

But city council leader Mr Purcell said the link was vital to the regeneration
of the East End.

He said: "It would be economic madness not to go ahead with the
completion of the M74, which is already 36 years' overdue.

"Our legal advice is that the tendering process is both fair and legal."

James H

james73

M74 link delayed

WORK to complete the M74 motorway has hit a further snag after a crucial
decision on the missing link was put back again.

A final price for the project was due to be set this week - but government
officials are unable to agree on a funding level.

They have asked for a month's extension before coming up with a figure.

The Scottish Government has made a commitment to have the road completed
in time for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

James H

james73

http://www.transportscotland.gov..../headline-projects/M74-completion

http://www.transportscotland.gov....runk-road-projects/m74-completion

Fly through video.

James H

Alex Glass

Tried both links James and it came back "Page not found".

james73

Missing link gets go-ahead

THE go-ahead to complete the missing link of the M74 has finally been given.

After years of delays and wrangling, Scottish Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson
announced today the contract had been agreed.

Work is expected to start in May and be completed by the end of 2011.

Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell said it was "tremendous news for jobs,
for commuters and for the 2014 Commonwealth Games".

The deal was reached after a fixed price was agreed of £445million, plus an
allowance of £12m for the possible treatment of mine workings on the route.

All the work will be carried out by the sole bidder for the project, Interlink M74, a
joint venture involving Morgan Est, Balfour Beatty, Morrison Construction and Sir
Robert McAlpine.

The five-mile route will run from Fullarton junction, near Carmyle, to the M8 just
west of the Kingston Bridge. It will pass over some of the most contaminated and
polluted parts of Scotland and will help transform urban wasteland into business
and residential areas.

Completion of the route will significantly reduce congestion on the busiest stretch of
the M8 through Glasgow and provide a major economic boost to west Scotland.

The south and east of Glasgow, Rutherglen and Cambuslang will all benefit.

James H

james73

Subway car park axed to build M74 missing link

A KEY park-and-ride site for drivers heading into Glasgow will be axed this weekend - to
allow work to start on the M74 missing link.

Transport bosses today announced West Street's 74-space car park will close
tomorrow night as part of the advance phase of the £650million project.

The Evening Times exclusively revealed yesterday that contractors will start
building the vital route in May and the work is scheduled for completion by 2011.

More than 18,000 drivers used the facilities at West Street last year but the gates
will permanently shut at 11.30pm tomorrow.

Glasgow City Council acquired the site through a compulsory purchase order and
the greenlight for the motorway extension has led to its immediate closure.

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport said: "We apologise
to users of the car park for the short notice and inconvenience - this was a matter
beyond our control.

"Alternative park and ride facilities are available at Shields Road, Bridge Street
and Kelvinbridge Subway stations."

It's emerged the tender bid by the Interlink M74 consortium is a fixed price of around
£445m, plus an allowance for around £12m for possible mine workings' treatment,
on top of £200m spent.

The five-mile route is expected to become one of Britain's most expensive
roads - clocking in at around £2000 an inch.

James H

Xeno

After hearing the owner of this web site, www.cbrd.co.uk talking on the radio, I had a good look at the site. The web site is about motorways and the like. If you go to the site, click on histories then the Glasgow tab, you'll find info for what could have been.

james73

Aye, here: http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/glasgow/ Interesting stuff.

James H

james73

Going places at last

IT HAS become the most expensive five miles of road in Scotland and has
taken 60 years to get the plans for it off the drawing board.

But today First Minister Alex Salmond and Glasgow City Council leader Steven
Purcell officially signalled the start of work on the M74's missing link'.

After decades of delay and disagreement, Glasgow is at last getting its ring road.

The cost is huge - the contract is worth £445million, with an additional £12m
contingency fund to deal with any old mine-workings.

That's on top of £200m that has already been spent, including £180m paid
out as compensation to businesses along the route that have had to relocate.

They include furniture maker Robert Morris, who got around £35m, and
City Refrigeration boss Willie Haughey, who received £16.5m.

However, business and political leaders believe the benefits of linking the
M8 south of the Kingston Bridge and the existing M74 at the Fullarton
junction in the east of Glasgow far outweigh the costs.

For Mr Purcell, today's ceremony marked the beginning of a project that
would bring "economic prosperity, regeneration and the opportunity to
bring jobs and homes to some of our most deprived communities."

Glasgow Chamber of Commerce chief executive Richard Cairns said: "Not
only will this road reduce congestion through the city centre, it will greatly
reduce journey times from the area to key markets, stimulating the
economy and creating jobs."

Mr Cairns said the main benefits were reduced journey times, better traffic
flow, less pollution and a boost for the economy.

James H

falseface

Cheers for the heads up. I need to get doen and start taking some new shots of the area

Stuball

I cycled on the M74 from Carmyle to Tollcross a week before it opened :)

HollowHorn

Yeah, and I used to walk my dog on the M8 between Ibrox & Kinning Park. Cool or what?

james73

£692M: Price of M74 extension soars to a new high

THE cost of the M74 extension has soared again, to almost £700million
bringing the bill to more than £26,000 per foot.

A report published today by spending watchdog Audit Scotland revealed
the five-mile, six-lane stretch will now cost £692m, that's £35m more than
the price last announced.

The M74's missing link', which is already three years late, is Britain's
most expensive road, working out at £26,400 per ft or just over £80,000 a
metre.

Audit Scotland blamed poor management for the massive price hike.

The original estimate in 2001 was £245m and the last cost stated, in
February this year, was £657m. That was made up of £445m plus an
allowance for around £12m to deal with possible mine workings along the
route on top of £200m spent.

The study also said inflation in the construction industry and delays caused
by a failed legal challenge by environmental campaigners had caused
costs to soar.

Transport Scotland said administration costs, buying land and the price of
cable and pipe diversions - none of which were included in the original
estimate - were also responsible.

The road will complete the motorway network and reduce congestion on
the busiest stretch of the M8 through Glasgow. It will also provide links to
regeneration projects in the city's East End and will bring much-needed
investment in homes and jobs. It is due to be completed in 2011.

The M74 extension is just one of the projects highlighted in the Audit
Scotland report which have spiralled above budget.

The study also revealed the cost of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link is also set
to rise from the original £210m.

It is now likely to cost between £300 and £400m, although this is due to it
being combined with an already planned Network Rail upgrade worth £173m.

The study showed that only two out of five big projects in Scotland - such
as new roads, railways, hospitals and prisons - were completed on budget,
while many were also late.

--------------------------------------

I'm quite literally beside myself at this news...

James H

james73

Going places at last (Evening Times)

IT looks just like any other building site. But the work going on in the small
patch of land just off Eglinton Street in the South Side is the beginning of the
end of 36 years of frustration for city motorists.

It is here that the first pier will be sunk in the long-awaited and
controversial M74 motorway extension project.

The Port Eglinton Viaduct, which will carry traffic over the main West
Coast rail line and Pollokshaws Road, will be one of the most striking
bridges on the five-mile stretch of road - and as big as the Kingston
Bridge.

If all goes to schedule, the £500million project will be completed in 2011
and the "missing link" in Scotland's roads network will be no more.

Once finished it will join the M8 at the Kingston Bridge with the Fullarton
Roundabout at Auchenshuggle in Glasgow's East End - where the M74
currently ends.

Supporters of the new road claim it will plug a glaring gap and allow
traffic to run much more smoothly as well as benefiting the economy.

But opponents have always felt it was needless and would cause social
and environmental harm.

Drivers have been waiting since 1972 for the road to be completed to
ease the traffic in Glasgow's South Side and through Rutherglen and
Cambuslang.

The work in Eglinton Street - on a site bounded by Devon Street, Turriff
Street and Mackinlay Street - is the start of construction of the Port
Eglinton Viaduct.

When completed it will be one of 13 bridges over roads, railways and
waterways built for the project.

Work has also started to clear and flatten land at Scotland Street, at the
south end of the Kingston Bridge and there are also engineers in place at
Farmeloan Road in the East End and Cathcart Road.

James H

james73

The right road (Evening Times)

After 36 years, the M74 'missing link' begins to take shape

IT has taken 36 years of talking, delays, frustration and recriminations - but
at last the M74 extension through Glasgow is taking shape.

The so-called "road to nowhere" and "missing link" in the Scottish motorway
network will soon be no more. All along the five-mile route between the Fullarton
Interchange near Carmyle and the Kingston Bridge, workmen and diggers are
transforming the landscape.

Concrete pillars and giant mounds of earth - which will support the 13 bridges
along the route - are being built. Land at Scotland Street, Eglinton Toll, Polmadie,
Rutherglen and Auchenshuggle Woods has been cleared to make way for the
road.

The £700million project is expected to be completed by 2011 - easing the traffic
flow in Glasgow's South Side and through Cambuslang and Rutherglen. Its
supporters say it is long overdue and will give the west coast economy a shot
in the arm.

Today Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell said: "Glasgow has argued
for decades that completion of the M74 is vital to the future growth of the city
and of Scotland; so it is very pleasing to see work progressing so well and the
route taking shape.

"It is exciting because we know that the finished road will bring with it opportunities
for thousands of individuals and businesses, support East End regeneration
and help us deliver the best possible 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"The construction phase itself is also already providing good quality local jobs
in a harsh economic climate."

In 1972 work on the M74 was ended - leaving the five-mile gap. Since then
costs have rocketed and it is already running three years late.

The estimate in 2001 was £245m - by May last year that had risen to £692m.
At £26,400 per ft - or just over £80,000 a metre - it is Britain's most expensive
road.

James H

AlanM

Just a thought but will we be able to organise access to walk along the new road between construction and opening?

Alex Glass

It always pays to ask the question and I am sure it may be possible as long as the proper PSE is worn by everyone