A814 road

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

A814 (Clydeside Expressway)

The A814 is a major road in Scotland, about 40 miles (64 km) long. In Glasgow it’s partly known as the Clydeside Expressway and runs from the city centre to the west, along the north bank of the River Clyde, through Clydebank and Dumbarton, to Helensburgh, then north to meet the A83 at Arrochar in Argyll and Bute.

In Glasgow it starts near Clyde Street and Saltmarket by Glasgow Green and the Albert Bridge, then follows the Clyde westward and becomes the Broomielaw after passing under the Caledonian Railway Bridge. At James Watt Street, Argyle Street becomes a dual carriageway and passes under the M8 at Junction 19, then becomes the elevated Clydeside Expressway with direct access to the Kingston Bridge.

The southern branch runs under the Kingston Bridge along Lancefield Quay, turning north at Finnieston Street by the Clyde Arc Bridge and feeding onto itself a short distance further north. After passing landmarks like the SEC Centre and SSE Hydro (with Kelvinhaugh and Yorkhill nearby), there is a junction by the River Kelvin giving access to eastern Partick and the Riverside Museum, with eastbound entry/exit at Glasgow Harbour. Thornwood roundabout provides access to western Partick and Broomhill.

The A814 then reaches the A739 interchange, drops to street level at Whiteinch, and becomes Dumbarton Road through Scotstoun, Yoker, and Clydebank (Glasgow Road) and Dalmuir (Dumbarton Road). It meets the A82/A898 at Old Kilpatrick, briefly runs as a dual carriageway with the A82, then continues as Dumbarton Road through Dumbarton (as Glasgow Road and Cardross Road), crosses the River Leven, and runs along the Firth of Clyde toward Helensburgh and Faslane. It turns north along Loch Long to meet the A83 at Arrochar.

The A814 is closely linked with the A82 for parts of its route, including a short stretch between Bowling and Milton where it carries the A814 designation.

Construction of the expressway began in 1971 and opened in April 1973. It features many over- and underpasses, built with prestressed concrete beams, and unusually large corner radii (about 150 feet). It also has an electric road heating system to reduce winter gritting. Whiteinch Interchange is a notable design that allows free-flow between the Expressway and the Clyde Tunnel (A739) without using land from nearby Victoria Park.

In 2022 Glasgow City Council proposed turning the Expressway into a single-lane, tree-lined boulevard to better fit surrounding neighbourhoods and reduce pollution.