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M8 Timeline

Kingston Bridge - J15 119111

Start: Edinburgh (A720)
Finish: Bishopton (A8)
Length: 61 Miles

This is the timeline of the M8 build.

Open	Jct	Section
1965	J4-5	Harthill Bypass
1967	J5-6	Harthill - Newhouse
1968	J26-29	Renfrew Bypass
1968	J15-16	Glasgow IRR, Townhead Section
1969	J3-4	Dechmont - Whitburn
1970	J29-30	Bishopton Bypass Stage I
1970	J19-20	Glasgow IRR, Kingston Bridge Section
1971	J2-3	Newbridge - Dechmont
1971	J16-17	Glasgow IRR, Woodside Section
1972	J18-19	Glasgow IRR, Charing Cross Section
1972	J17-18	Glasgow IRR, Woodside - Charing Cross
1975	J12-15	Monkland Motorway Stage I
1975	J30-31	Bishopton Bypass Stage II
1977	J20-26	Renfrew Motorway
1979	J11-12	Monkland Motorway Stage IIa
1980	J8-9	Ballieston - Glasgow City Boundary
1980	J8-11	Monkland Motorway Stage IIb
1995	J1-2	Edinburgh City Bypass – Newbridge

The M8 connects Scotland’s two largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh and is 61 miles long – excluding a six-mile (10 km) gap between Baillieston and Newhouse.

The M8 was designed to replace the A8 road as a high-capacity alternative for intercity travel and was constructed to bypass towns, the first being the Harthill Bypass which was constructed in 1965. This was followed by the Renfrew Bypass in 1968, it was opened as the A8(M), but became part of the M8 when the motorway to the west was connected.

Between 1968 and 1972 the Glasgow inner city section was constructed using a scheme outlined in the Bruce Report. This was a report authored by Robert Bruce who was the Glasgow Corporation Engineer at the time. The Glasgow Corporation was the former local authority area for the city and published two reports for the regeneration of the City of Glasgow as the Second World War was ending.