M90 Inverkeithing - Perth

Where is it?

Between Edinburgh and Perth.

Can you show me that on a map?

Certainly!

What makes this a pathetic motorway?

Well, actually, I quite like it.

What's it doing here then?

Well, it's really quiet, especially when compared with parts of the M8!

It's a motorway of contrasting scenery - sometimes it's in a cutting, other times it winds its way between the hills and it also heads over plains.

It has the tightest bend on a British motorway that isn't part of a junction complex, it's also the most northerly part of the British motorway network, and it's the only rural motorway to be built without hard shoulders in places.

No hard shoulders?

That's right. And believe me, it feels really, really odd. There are emergency lay-bys every mile, though.

And the last thing - it killed the M85, and so now there are two M90s at the northern end. One is signed as (A9) and the other as (A90). It seems quite daft to me, but there you go.

Can I see what it looks like?

OK then...

Just be aware that low sun and a streaky windscreen don't make the best combination!

Can I comment on this motorway?

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

Have any other visitors commented?

Thomas Davies:

I've just finished going through the (large!) selection of photos for the M90 and have to say that I'm surprised you made no mention of the truly abysmal concrete surface on the section lacking hard shoulders, it has to be the single worst surface on any major road in the UK that I've ever driven.  Every time I'm on that stretch I can barely hear myself think over the noise it makes, the entire few miles really deserve to be ripped up and re-laid with tarmac.  They could even add in the missing hard shoulders at the same time...

Phil Reynolds:

All those scenery shots - and why not? I have to say from experience that it is a very scenic motorway indeed.

Of course, the notable thing about the Broxden spur is it actually longer from where it goes off than the remainder of what they have us believe is the M90 proper. It does mean that the most northerly motorway has no number to call its own - though if the M85 were restored, this could indeed be the M90 again.

Graham Pearson writes:

It's true that the stretch with the concrete surface is unusually noisy, but apparently that surface is lasting far better than the tarmac used elsewhere.

As for the M90 being really quiet: over much of its length it is, but between junctions 1 and 3 it's like a racetrack.

Glen Haig obviously travels along the M90 regularly! [April 08]

The southern section of the motorway, from junction 3 to the bridge is very busy.  To make matters worse if you are heading northbound you are heading up a rather steep incline, creating a dangerous speed differential between light and heavy vehicles.  It's not unusual to have to slow from 70mph to around 30mph if one HGV pulls out to overtake another.  Hopefully they will widen this section of the road as part of the New Forth Crossing scheme.

M90

Inverkeithing - Perth

Counties:

Fife

Kinross-shire

Perthshire

Length:

31 miles

50 km

Built:

1964 - 1980

Status:

Current

Map Links:

Might Have Been Map

Present Day Map

On other websites:

CBRD Motorway Database

The Motorway Archive