Loch Lomond Motorway

[ChrisWoods]

Can anyone help with information on a proposed Loch Lomond Motorway that never materialised. I've been searching the internet for signs that such a plan existed but I can't find anything.

Only info I have is from my own sketchy childhood memories. I'm sure there was compulsory purchases made of some blonde sandstone houses in Jordanhill, on Crow Road round the corner from Southbrae. I also recall from a planning meeting I was at a few years ago that a small farm (Westerton Farm?) was also purchased for the same reason.

This is all I have so from that I can only guess that at one time there was a plan to smash a Motorway from the end of the Expressway right up Crow Road, through Anniesland and Bearsden and eventually meet up with the A82 somewhere.

Is this a figment of my imagination or did this plan exist?

[floweredpig]

Try http://www.pathetic.org.uk and if they don't have anything listed then you can email them and they can check for you.

Dont be put off by the website address,it isn't a joke!

[rotten milk]

http://www.pathetic.org.uk/features/mig ... sgow.shtml

shows the intended new motorways etc. (hover your cursor over the roads to show the name)

clicking on the roads leads you to:

http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/glasgow/

this discusses what was supposed to happen under the 1965 'glasgow highway development plan' which resulted in the report 'a highway plan for glasgow'

this included the inner ring road, of which the M8 is all that was actually built.
linked to this there were the other motorways/expressways, of which there are indications that they were actually planned for, even if they never got built e.g. the ski-jumps, the unfinished 'Maryhill' junction between j16 and j17 etc.(click on 'the legacy')
there is a google earth overlay available to show the routes of the new roads and how they all linked together.

a footnote to the article states:
" Research carried out at the Mitchell Library, Glasgow ......All the information in this section is sourced directly from "A Highway Plan for Glasgow" and "The Greater Glasgow Transportation Study", except where text or links indicate otherwise. "

If you could get a swatch at either of these documents, they could maybe confirm the existence, in idea of nothing else, of a 'loch lomond' motorway - given what was planned and even got partially built, it doesn't sound too unlikely!

[onyirtodd]

What an outrageous idea. One of the few things the cousin-shaggin' areas have going for them is the lack of motorways.

[MyNewLogIn]

What you seek is right under your nose:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=642&p=109335&hilit=Highway+Plan+for+Glasgow#p109335

[Dave]

Welcome along to HG MyNewLogIn.

Nice first post, I'm sure with that and the links provided by the other useful contributors I'll fill a good few hours.

[hazy]

Never heard of this but have found it interesting. The one I do remember was during the 70s they had plans to run a road from the Drumry roundabout A82 through the Garscadden woods then spliting Southdeen and Glenkirk Av with a dual carriageway then upto Bearsden. One of my mates big brother had the plans but I cannot find any info on it.

[ChrisWoods]

http://www.pathetic.org.uk/features/mighthavebeen/conurbations/glasgow.shtml

shows the intended new motorways etc. (hover your cursor over the roads to show the name)

clicking on the roads leads you to:

http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/glasgow/

this discusses what was supposed to happen under the 1965 'glasgow highway development plan' which resulted in the report 'a highway plan for glasgow'

this included the inner ring road, of which the M8 is all that was actually built.
linked to this there were the other motorways/expressways, of which there are indications that they were actually planned for, even if they never got built e.g. the ski-jumps, the unfinished 'Maryhill' junction between j16 and j17 etc.(click on 'the legacy')
there is a google earth overlay available to show the routes of the new roads and how they all linked together.

a footnote to the article states:
" Research carried out at the Mitchell Library, Glasgow ......All the information in this section is sourced directly from "A Highway Plan for Glasgow" and "The Greater Glasgow Transportation Study", except where text or links indicate otherwise. "

If you could get a swatch at either of these documents, they could maybe confirm the existence, in idea of nothing else, of a 'loch lomond' motorway - given what was planned and even got partially built, it doesn't sound too unlikely!

The map on pathetic.org.uk shows a Trossachs Motorway which seems to be an extension of the Maryhill Motorway, I can't see how that would have affected Crow Road. From trolling through various sites it appears like the Inner Ring Road and related plans were finally shelved in 1980. This would probably tie in, my memory of the houses in Jordanhill being threatened would likely be late 70s.

Ther reason the Westerton Farm thing came to my attention was I was at a residents meeting in Bearsden a few years ago about the proposed building of affordable housing on several sites in East Dumbartonshire including this one. Councellors defending the decision used the fact this area had been 'zoned for housing' for decades. One attendee stood up and countered this claim stating his parents had owned this farm until they were given a compulsory purchase order as it was to be demolished to make way for the proposed Loch Lomond/Trossachs motorway which was never completed. The location if this 'farm' is just of Canniesburn Road on the north bank of the railway line between Westerton and Bearsden stations.

No matter what way you look at it, if it had gone ahead it would have to have wiped out significant areas of housing around there.

I'll try and get to the Mitchell Library and find out some more, will post anyhting I find on here for anyone that is interested.

[ChrisWoods]

Just found this from the Clydebank story.

"There have been many attempts since the Second World War to rationalise Clydebank's transport network. In 1949 the Inglis Report pointed to geographical features in the Burgh that would hinder transport improvement. The main obstacles (literally!) were identified as the canal bridge and the low railway bridge in Kilbowie Road. In 1969 a recommended road system for 1990 was published, suggesting that buses should provide feeder services to railway stations and that the Clydeside Expressway should be extended into Clydebank and up Kilbowie Road to meet the proposed Lomond Motorway. None of these recommendations was taken up. Strathclyde Passenger Transport has assisted in local transport surveys, however, and The Clydebank Plan 2003 - 2010, Clydebank re-built will focus on the Forth and Clyde canal and the riverside while a study by MVA, a private company, will be published in 2005."

Feel like I'm getting somewhwre now, also this.

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/writ ... d-motorway

[MyNewLogIn]

Well Done. You appear to have managed to get to result 4 when searching for "Lomond Motorway" on Google whilst simultaneously ignoring all the helpful links given to you thus far.

I don't now if the properties to which you refer were part of the plans for the 'Maryhill Motorway', the 'Trossachs Motorway' or the "North Link Motorway". As you mention Crow Road perhaps it was even the "Clyde Tunnel Expressway" you're thinking of, although that would be odd as it was built pretty much as per the plan.

So again, try these links:
http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=642&p=109335&hilit=Highway+Plan+for+Glasgow#p109335
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/glasgow/
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/glasgow/maps.shtml

and in particular, try the Google Overlay map on the third link. It will show you the exact routes of all motorways planned in the post-war madness...

[Dexter St. Clair]

Several compulsory purchases of Houses on Crow were made in anticipation of widening the road. A similar plan was also introduced for Great Western Road this time by removing the pavements and widening the road. Paths were established on either side of GWR as it ran through Kelvinside. But the plan was dropped.

[ChrisWoods]

Well Done. You appear to have managed to get to result 4 when searching for "Lomond Motorway" on Google whilst simultaneously ignoring all the helpful links given to you thus far.

I don't now if the properties to which you refer were part of the plans for the 'Maryhill Motorway', the 'Trossachs Motorway' or the "North Link Motorway". As you mention Crow Road perhaps it was even the "Clyde Tunnel Expressway" you're thinking of, although that would be odd as it was built pretty much as per the plan.

So again, try these links:
http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=642&p=109335&hilit=Highway+Plan+for+Glasgow#p109335
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/glasgow/
http://www.cbrd.co.uk/histories/glasgow/maps.shtml

and in particular, try the Google Overlay map on the third link. It will show you the exact routes of all motorways planned in the post-war madness...

Well done to you too, you appear to have manged to sound like a condesending and deeply unlikable toss pot after only two posts. Thanks for your link, you appear to need appreciation.

There is very little information on the internet about it so I'm asking folks on here if they have any first hand memory of the proposal, how it would affect the land scape and why it fell through. I bow to your superior googling ability.

Dexter thanks for the information.

[Nosht]

Several compulsory purchases of Houses on Crow were made in anticipation of widening the road. A similar plan was also introduced for Great Western Road this time by removing the pavements and widening the road. Paths were established on either side of GWR as it ran through Kelvinside. But the plan was dropped.

Quite so.
The plan was to create a massive underpass, junction & multi level flyover at Anniesland Cross, various interlinking roads & a dual carriageway along Great Western Road which would stop at Kelvinbridge but there were NO plans to widen the bridge. Plans were very advanced to compulsory purchase ground at Old Anniesland playing fields, Crow Road & the gardens & terraces of houses on Gt. Western Road from Hyndland Road to Byres Road but a change of government stopped all planning thank goodness.
We still suffer today from the this planning as all the side streets along Maryhill Road, Great Western Road & Crow Road were blocked off earlier to advance the flow of traffic onto specific roads thereby flasely increasing the traffic flows which would then justify the massive expenditure & road alterations.

Regards,

N.

[Dexter St. Clair]

Several compulsory purchases of Houses on Crow were made in anticipation of widening the road. A similar plan was also introduced for Great Western Road this time by removing the pavements and widening the road. Paths were established on either side of GWR as it ran through Kelvinside. But the plan was dropped.

Quite so.
The plan was to create a massive underpass, junction & multi level flyover at Anniesland Cross, various interlinking roads & a dual carriageway along Great Western Road which would stop at Kelvinbridge but there were NO plans to widen the bridge. Plans were very advanced to compulsory purchase ground at Old Anniesland playing fields, Crow Road & the gardens & terraces of houses on Gt. Western Road from Hyndland Road to Byres Road but a change of government stopped all planning thank goodness.
We still suffer today from the this planning as all the side streets along Maryhill Road, Great Western Road & Crow Road were blocked off earlier to advance the flow of traffic onto specific roads thereby flasely increasing the traffic flows which would then justify the massive expenditure & road alterations.

Regards,

N.

Thanks for the info. It adds more specifics but I would say that any designated route has certain side streets either blocked or made one way eg Calder Street , Allison street. No massive expenditure is needed as a reason to do it. It cuts down on drivers using the "knowledge" to turn two lane streets into rat runs.