A720 Edinburgh City Bypass

A720 Edinburgh City Bypass
Country	SCO
Route	720
Length mi	16
Direction a	west
Terminus a	M8 junction near Newbridge
Direction b	east
Terminus b	A1 at Musselburgh junction
Counties	City of Edinburgh
Established	1980s

A720 Edinburgh City Bypass

The A720 Edinburgh City Bypass is a major arterial road encircling the southern periphery of Edinburgh, connecting key motorways, trunk routes and suburban corridors around Scotland's capital, and interfacing with transport nodes serving Edinburgh Airport, Portobello and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. It functions as a strategic link between the M8, M9, A1 and local urban networks, forming part of journeys between Glasgow, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Dunfermline and the Scottish Borders.

Route description

The bypass begins at a junction with the M8 and M9 approaches near Newbridge, skirts south of Edinburgh Airport and passes close to suburbs including Gyle, Murrayfield, Dreghorn, and Colinton. It continues past interchanges serving Hermiston, Baberton, Pentlands foothills and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital before crossing the River Esk corridor and linking to the A1 at Musselburgh and access to Portobello and the Firth of Forth. Major junctions include connections with the A71 at Calder and the A702 near Babbitstown, with carriageway standards varying from dual three-lane sections to dual two-lane segments controlled by roundabouts and grade-separated junctions near Cammo and Gogar.

History

Planning for a southern ring route around Edinburgh dates to post-war schemes influenced by Bruce Report-era thinking and later Scottish Executive transport strategies, aiming to relieve inner-urban corridors such as Princes Street and Leith Walk. Initial construction phases in the late 1970s and 1980s linked the M8 approaches with the A1 corridor, with successive extensions responding to urban expansion in West Lothian and commuter growth to Musselburgh and Loanhead. The bypass has been shaped by controversies familiar to UK infrastructure projects, including debates involving City of Edinburgh Council, Transport Scotland and local amenity groups like Friends of the Earth Scotland and community councils in Currie and Dalkeith.

Upgrades and improvements

Major improvements have included carriageway widening, junction remodelling and installation of high-friction surfaces and drainage works following assessments by Transport Scotland and consultants such as AECOM-style firms. Notable schemes were the reconstruction of the Gogarburn interchange to improve access to Edinburgh Airport and the redevelopment of the Sheriffhall junction, which tied into projects serving the Borders Railway and health infrastructure such as Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh expansions. Safety and capacity projects have been funded through mechanisms used by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with contractors like Amey and Balfour Beatty.

Traffic and safety

Traffic patterns on the bypass reflect commuter flows between Glasgow, Dunfermline, Falkirk and the Scottish Borders, seasonal tourist traffic to Forth Bridge-area attractions and freight movements to port facilities. Peak congestion points historically include the Musselburgh eastern junctions and the M8 western approaches, leading to congestion management studies by agencies including Transport Research Laboratory and interventions using variable signage and enforcement by Police Scotland. Collision analyses have prompted targeted remedial measures after reports from the Roads Policing Unit and crash investigators, with particular attention to junction conflict and motorcycle safety on rural-feel stretches toward the Pentland Hills.

Public transport and cycling provisions

The bypass corridor interfaces with several public transport services, including long-distance bus operators such as Lothian Buses, Stagecoach East Scotland and coach links to Glasgow Central and Aberdeen; park-and-ride facilities at interchanges connect bus routes to Edinburgh Park and central terminals like Waverley station and Haymarket railway station. Cycling and active travel provision alongside the route is fragmented: dedicated cycleways and shared-use paths exist near Hermiston and through the Almondell corridor, influenced by policies from Sustrans, Cycling Scotland and local active-travel plans produced by City of Edinburgh Council, but continuous high-quality routes along the entire bypass remain limited.

Future proposals and planning

Ongoing and proposed initiatives focus on congestion reduction, emissions targets under Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 commitments, and integration with rail projects including the Borders Railway and Edinburgh suburban services. Planning dialogue involves Transport Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council and regional bodies like the SESplan partnership, considering options such as intelligent transport systems, additional grade separations, and strategic park-and-ride expansions linked to developments at Gogarburn and Ratho. Community groups, environmental bodies including Scottish Wildlife Trust and representatives from the Scottish Greens often participate in consultations over alignment, biodiversity mitigation and air-quality monitoring, reflecting wider debates about road capacity, modal shift and sustainable regional growth.

Category:Roads in Edinburgh Category:Transport in Scotland