M876 Dennyloanhead - Kincardine Bridge

Where is it?

Sort of north of Falkirk, south of Stirling, and leading to the Kincardine Bridge, in central Scotland.

Can you show me that on a map?

Certainly!

When was it built?

1980

What makes this a pathetic motorway?

Let's start with the obvious from the map.

What's that then?

It's the only motorway in the country that's been actually designed to be in two parts!

That's right - it's so pathetic that it can't make it from one end of itself to the other, without borrowing a bit of the M9 to make it possible.

Doesn't the M62 do the same thing?

Yes, it does, but there's a big difference between the two...

And that is?

Well, the M62 was originally the through route, and some bright spark came up with renumbering sections of M62 and M66, plus the entire M63 as a continuous ring, hence the M60 debacle.

Oh! I see.

Yes, and some of the junctions are seriously under-specified, including one where it's so tight, that all through traffic is asked to use the right hand lane...

That seems pretty rubbish.

Yes, it sure is.

Mind you, it tops that...

Oh?

Yes, running across the little spur at junction 2 is a... pedestrian crossing.

What???

Yes - a real, genuine pedestrian crossing across the motorway.

Fantastic Stuff! Care to show me some photos?

Of course!

Can I comment on this motorway?

Of course! Contact me and I'll put them here!

Have any other visitors commented?

Kevin Tennant talks about the eastern section of the motorway:

Speaking as a frequent road traveller in Scotland I can honestly say this road is up there with the A8000 for crap planning. Scotland is as good at planning as it is at football to be honest! Which is amusing as this road is near Stenhousemuir.

What irritates me about this road that you haven't really mentioned is the Kincardine Bridge bit. This massive motorway just ends at a roundabout where yes, it dumps you on a tiny single carrageway for a bit before going over the ageing Kincardine Bridge which dumps you in central Kincardine. You'd think they'd make the actual bridge larger or something considering it is the main way round for those too tight to use the Forth Bridge.

But no...

Ross Nicol follows this up:

With regards to the comments by Kevin Tennant about the M876 and the Kincardine Bridge I thought I'd point out the following:

There are currently very well advanced plans to build a second bridge just upstream of the existing Kincardine Bridge.

As I understand it, the existing roundabout at the end of the M876 will become a grade separated junction, and there will be a new roundabout nearer the existing bridge, where the route to the new bridge will diverge.

Between this new roundabout and the existing bridge, the road will be upgraded to dual carriageway.

"The Evil Scotsman" writes!

As far as I can recall, the M876 was built in two stages. The first part ran from the M80 at Dennyloanhead and ended at what is now J2, hence the rather large sliproads, with bridge bound traffic using what is now the A88 (check the map). In those days this road was somewhat logically the A876, a trunk road with one of those lethal 3-lane sections. I'm surprised the 2nd part was actually built. The A876 didn't run through any major towns and it would have been easy to cop out of finishing the scheme, leaving a bottleneck like the nearby A8000. Or the A80. Or the A74...

Finally , who needs a go on the "Waltzers" when you can enjoy the eastbound sliproad from the M9 onto the M876..?

M876

Dennyloanhead - Kincardine Bridge

County:

Stirlingshire

Length:

7.5 miles

12.5 km

Built:

1980

Status:

Current

Map Links:

Might Have Been Map

Present Day Map

On other websites:

CBRD Motorway Database

CBRD Video