Routes
A720
Edinburgh City Bypass
A720 is the number assigned to the Edinburgh City Bypass. Located to the south and west of the city, it is a dual carriageway with two lanes in each direction. It is one of Scotland’s most important routes, and one of its busiest, with congestion a problem along much of its length at peak times.
The A720 links the M8 motorway in the west with the A1 dual carriageway in the east and is 14 miles long. There are intermediate connections with the A8, A71, A702, A701, A7 and A68 routes. The road is classified as a ‘Special Road’ with restrictions on the types of vehicles able to use it.
The Edinburgh City Bypass was built in five stages between February 1979 and December 1989.
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Route History
A bypass for Edinburgh was first proposed in the late 1940s. The city had ambitious plans for a network of new urban motorways and expressways, and the outer bypass was to be constructed after them. In the mid-1970s, faced with growing public opposition and a lack of funding, the plans were scaled back and focus instead turned to completion of the outer ring road. With traffic congestion on the city’s streets becoming a major problem and no clear route for through traffic, the road was considered a priority.
The scheme was taken forward by Lothian Regional Council from 1975 and although the road was not to be designated as a trunk road on completion, the Scottish Office contributed towards some costs of the project. European Regional Development Fund Grants were also utilised.
A new off-line corridor was selected for the dual carriageway which was to be built to rural standards with a mix of at-grade and grade-separated junctions.
To spread the cost of the project Lothian Regional Council decided to take it forward in five separate stages: Colinton, Sighthill, Burdiehouse, Millerhill and Gilmerton. It was their aim for it to be completed by the year 1990. The regional council designed all aspects of the route apart from the Union Canal Aqueduct at Hermiston.
Construction of the Colinton Section began in February 1979, and it was opened to traffic in May 1981. The scheme extended from Baberton to Lothianburn and included the Water of Leith Bridge and Dreghorn Link Road. The Sighthill Bypass followed five years later, with construction commencing in September 1984 and completion in December 1986. The project included the construction of Gogar Roundabout and the Union Canal Aqueduct which was designed by Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick & Partners. The Colinton and Sighthill Sections were built by Balfour Beatty and cost almost £20 million, approximately £60 million today.
A720 Construction Summary
Contract
Junctions
Opening Date
Colinton Bypass
Baberton to Lothianburn
May 1981
Sighthill Bypass
Gogar to Baberton
December 1986
Burdiehouse Bypass
Lothianburn to Straiton
June 1988
Millerhill Bypass
Sheriffhall to Old Craighall
November 1988
Gilmerton Bypass
Straiton to Sheriffhall
December 1989
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Construction of the Burdiehouse Section commenced in April 1986 and extended the route from Lothianburn to Straiton. It was opened in June 1988. The Millerhill Section followed and was built between June 1987 and November 1988. It provided a link between the A1 at Old Craighall and Sheriffhall Roundabout. The Burdiehouse and Millerhill Sections were delivered by Tractor Shovels Tawse. Combined, they cost a further £20 million.
The fifth and final section at Gilmerton commenced construction in February 1988 and was completed in December 1989. Costing £17 million, equivalent to £45 million today, it completed the link between Straiton and Sheriffhall. It was built by Miller Construction and completed eight months ahead of schedule. A ceremony marking the completion of the bypass was held on 19th March 1990 and attended by Bruce Millan, a European Commissioner and former Secretary of State for Scotland. A plaque marking the occasion was unveiled at Dreghorn and remains in place today.
In July 1993 Gogar Roundabout was grade-separated as part of construction of the Gyle Shopping Centre. The project, part financed by the Gyle Development and Scottish Office cost over £7.4 million. The project was delivered by Balfour Beatty and Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick.
The M8 motorway extension from Claylands to the City Bypass was completed in December 1995. Several new structures were built to accommodate the new Hermiston Junction which had been allowed for in the original project. The route was trunked in April 1996.
In the 1990s, a sixth section of the bypass was proposed to provide a link between Gogar Junction and the A90 north of Cramond Bridge. Titled the Barton Bypass, the section was cancelled in 1997 following the change in government. In the early 2000s the western end of the bypass was provided with hard shoulders. The intention was to improve the resilience of the route during incidents and vehicle breakdowns which were adding to the already congested route.
A final junction was opened at Millerhill in September 2008 to accommodate a link to the A68 Dalkeith Northern Bypass. Plans for a grade-separation of the Sheriffhall Roundabout have been discussed since 2015. It is hoped this will be completed before 2030 and be financed by the Edinburgh City Deal.
Since its completion, the Edinburgh City Bypass has been classified as a Special Road. This restricts certain types of vehicles from using the road, including mopeds, agricultural vehicles and horses. These restrictions are normally only seen on motorways. Today, the route is very well utilised and operating well beyond its originally intended capacity. Congestion forms daily, particularly on approach to Hermiston, Straiton and Sheriffhall Junctions.
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Route Overview
The Edinburgh City Bypass has twelve junctions. From west to east these are: Gogar (at-grade roundabout, link to A8), Hermiston (link to M8), Calder (link to A71), Baberton (east facing slips only), Dreghorn, Lothianburn (link to A702), Straiton (link to A701), Lasswade (west facing slips only), Gilmerton (west facing slips only), Sheriffhall (at-grade roundabout, link to A7), Millerhill (link to A68) and Old Craighall (at-grade roundabout, link to A1).
The road has two lanes in each direction along its entire length and is built to rural standards. The western end of the route has hard shoulders whilst emergency laybys are provided east of Lothianburn. Much of the road operates under National Speed Limit restrictions, though this is reduced in some locations to 50mph.
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From the Archive
Documents
This article was first published in September 2024.
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