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Kilmarnock to Stirling rush hour - best route?
craig1410 - 18/12/11 at 11:01 PM

Hi,

I'm starting a new job as an IT contractor tomorrow and need to travel from Kilmarnock to Stirling University Innovation Park arriving around 9:15. Does anyone on here travel that route in morning rush hour? Any tips on the best route and approximate travel time?

I'm thinking route 1 = M77, M74, M73, M80
rather than route 2 = M77, M8, M80

But I'm not sure how far back the M77 tends to be queued in the morning now the M74 extension is open.

I made the trip in 1 hour dead a couple of weeks back but that was arriving at 10:30am. I'm guessing it will be more like 90 minutes or perhaps more in rush hour.

Any tips are most welcome as well as alternate routes (eg. B764 Eaglesham road or the south orbital road from M77 J5).

Cheers,
Craig.

ps. I know I'm a bit late asking but it just occurred to me as I was preparing.

Benzine - 18/12/11 at 11:12 PM

Leave way earlier than you think, get there early and listen to radio 4

craig1410 - 18/12/11 at 11:19 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Benzine
Leave way earlier than you think, get there early and listen to radio 4


Ha ha, if I had a free hand then that's what I'd do, except I have a bunch of podcasts queued up instead of Radio 4...

However, my wife works as a primary teacher and has requested that I drop our kids at their school bus stop in the morning (8:10am usually) to allow her to go to work early so that she can come home early and be in for the kids when they get back.

I can work flexible times, starting between 8am and 10am and then putting in a 7.5 hour working day. In many ways, starting late and coming home late would avoid a lot of traffic so that's probably the way to go but I'm just not sure if I can get to Stirling for 9:30am if I leave at 8:10am. I doubt it to be honest. It'll be more flexible after the first day so my intention is to leave at around 7:45 tomorrow and see how I get on. I just wondered if anyone on here travels that route regularly.

Thanks,
Craig.

zilspeed - 19/12/11 at 08:12 AM

Craig

Tail south end of M73 to M74 is a pinch point these days.
Morning and night, it's busy heading south, but not too bad.
If the weather gets at all iffy, traffic leaves the A8 and crosses the 73 onto the 74.
This can cause major tailbacks on the 73.

(Major in these parts is 10 mins, for those viewers in the south east.)

Regarding the M80,

That's easy peasy these days.
The 70 limit starts much earlier on the Stepps bypass and from robroyston you're 5 mins to Cumbernauld.
Three lanes through much of cumbernauld and no Auchenkilns to deal with.

I would go for your route 2.
Shorter, simpler, less chance of snarl ups.
Can't comment on the bridge heading north though, as I don't do it.

Maybe one route for the out loop and the other route for the return loop ?

craig1410 - 19/12/11 at 01:09 PM

Thanks.

This morning took 44 minutes from Fenwick to M77-M74 slip then just 8 mins to get to M73. After that it was fine all the way to my destination. Total journey time 90 minutes starting at 8am arriving at 9:30am.

The M77 was the worst bit. Queued from J5 to M74. After that it was a skoosh.

C.