A814 road

A814
A814
	Arrochar
Location
Country	United Kingdom
Constituent country	Scotland
Road network
	Roads in the United Kingdom; Motorways; A and B road zones;
	← A815
	← A815

The A814 road in Scotland (known for part of its length as the Clydeside Expressway) is a major arterial route within

Arrochar, Argyll and Bute

.

Route

The A814 starts at the junction of Clyde Street and

Clyde Arc Bridge

and feeding 'onto itself' a short distance further north).

After passing the

Kelvinhaugh and Yorkhill on the other (two footbridges provide pedestrian access at what is a very busy and fast-moving section), an atypical junction added in the early 21st century just prior to the River Kelvin provides access from the Expressway to eastern Partick and the Riverside Museum from the westbound direction, with eastbound entry/exit points further on at Glasgow Harbour where the main carriageway is in a cutting.^[2] There is a further junction at the Thornwood roundabout^[3] providing suburban access western Partick and Broomhill

.

The A814 carries on to the A739 interchange (see below) beyond which it drops down to street level at

Arrochar. It shares some characteristics with the A82 which is also a main urban route within western Glasgow (as Great Western Road) and then an important rural road in Argyll, almost connecting with the end of the A814 as it clings to the shore of Loch Lomond as well as superseding it as the route number for a short distance between Bowling and Milton where the tight confines of the Clyde and the Kilpatrick Hills

leave space for only one road.

Clydeside Expressway history

Construction on the expressway started in 1971, taking around 24 months, with the road opening to traffic in April 1973. The Expressway includes many over- and underpasses which are designed in typical Glasgow style, using prestressed concrete beams fabricated on site. Unlike most motorways in Scotland, corner radii were set at 150 feet, and the road has a unique electric road heating system installed which is used to reduce the need to grit during the winter months. The Expressway has a number of unique grade separated junctions designed to enable efficient movement of traffic whilst minimising land take. Whiteinch Interchange is an example of such a junction, designed to allow traffic to move freely between the Expressway and the Clyde Tunnel (A739). The design of this junction created a challenge as it was a requirement that it should be completely free flowing whilst also not taking any land from the nearby Victoria Park. The final design involves a partial-cloverleaf where traffic from opposing directions temporarily share carriageway space when moving around the interchange.^[4]

In 2022, plans released under Glasgow City Council's 'liveable neighbourhoods programme' included a proposal to reduce the Expressway to a single-lane, tree-lined boulevard to provide better harmony with the neighbourhoods in its vicinity, and to reduce pollution and discourage car use in the city centre.^[5]