A720 road

A720 road
Country	Scotland
Route	720
Length mi	approx 26
Direction a	West
Terminus a	Gogar
Direction b	East
Terminus b	Newcraighall
Established	1980s
Counties	Midlothian; City of Edinburgh

A720 road

The A720 is a major urban bypass encircling Edinburgh linking Gogar in the west to Newcraighall in the east via a series of grade-separated junctions that connect to routes such as the M8 motorway, A7 road, A1 road (Great Britain), and M9 motorway. It serves as a strategic orbital route for traffic between districts including Musselburgh, Newbridge, Loanhead, Currie, and Liberton while interfacing with infrastructure projects like the Edinburgh Trams and the Forth Road Bridge approaches. The road supports commuter flows to centres such as Edinburgh Airport, Edinburgh Gateway railway station, Waverley Station, and links to long-distance corridors toward Glasgow, Dundee, and Newcastle upon Tyne.

Route description

The western section commences near Gogar and the Union Canal junctions, passing close to Edinburgh Airport and the Royal Bank of Scotland campus with connections to the M8 motorway and A71 road. Moving clockwise, the A720 skirts suburbs including West Craiglockhart and Juniper Green before crossing near Colinton, Hermiston, and the Hermitage of Braid area where it intersects with the A70 road. The southern arc runs adjacent to Baberton, Currie Kirk and links with the A71 (road, Edinburgh) before reaching the southeastern quadrant near Liberton and Moredun. The eastern leg passes towards The Jewel and Esk Valley and connects to the A1 road (Great Britain) at the Newcraighall terminus, providing access to Musselburgh and long-distance routes toward Northumberland and Berwick-upon-Tweed.

History

Initial proposals for an Edinburgh bypass date to post-war planning documents influenced by studies such as the Buchan Inquiry and proposals in the New Town development plan era, with construction phased through the 1970s and 1980s to respond to increasing capacity needs after the opening of the Forth Road Bridge and growth of Edinburgh Airport. Key upgrades were prompted by traffic modelling from agencies including Transport Scotland and policy shifts following reports by the Scottish Office and the Department for Transport (United Kingdom). The route has been modified across decades with junction remodelling to accommodate developments like the Sheriffhall roundabout changes, influenced by congestion studies linked to the Borders Railway reopening and the Edinburgh Trams programme. Environmental and heritage considerations invoking bodies such as Historic Environment Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage shaped alignments near sensitive sites including the Pentland Hills and various conservation areas.

Junctions and interchanges

Major interchanges include connections to the M8 motorway/A8 road corridor at western approaches, the A71 road at Hermiston Gait, the M9 motorway via feeder links toward Falkirk and Stirling, and the eastern junction with the A1 road (Great Britain) toward North Berwick and Dunbar. Notable junctions incorporate grade-separated designs similar to those at Gogarburn, proximity to Edinburgh Gateway railway station and integrated links toward the Musselburgh junctions. Several roundabout interchanges historically at Sheriffhall and Old Craighall have undergone signalisation and lane reconfiguration following capacity studies from consultants linked to projects such as the Edinburgh and Lothians Strategic Road Assessment.

Traffic and safety

Traffic volumes on the A720 reflect commuter peaks tied to employment centres like Haymarket and Waverley Station and event-driven surges for venues such as Murrayfield Stadium and the Royal Highland Showground. Accident analyses by Road Safety Scotland and collision data examined by the Police Scotland show hotspots at complex merge points and roundabouts, prompting remedial measures informed by standards from the Institution of Civil Engineers and design guidance from Transport Scotland. Seasonal variations correlate with tourism flows to destinations like Edinburgh Castle and Arthur's Seat, while freight movements connect to the Port of Leith and distribution hubs serving corporations such as Royal Mail and regional logistics firms.

Future developments and improvements

Planned interventions have been debated in strategic documents from Transport Scotland, the City of Edinburgh Council, and regional bodies including the South East Scotland Transport Partnership. Proposals include junction capacity upgrades, targeted bypasses, and intelligent transport systems integrating data from the Highways Agency-style monitoring to reduce delays toward Newcraighall and Gogar. Schemes linked to the expansion of Edinburgh Airport and proposals related to housing developments by authorities such as the Scottish Government have influenced priority lists, with environmental assessments overseen by Environmental Protection Scotland-aligned consultees. Funding discussions have involved frameworks like the Scotland Act 2012 devolved transport allocations and periodic bids to national infrastructure funds.

Public transport and cycling integration

Integration efforts connect the A720 corridor with public transport nodes including Edinburgh Gateway railway station, stops on the Edinburgh Trams network, and bus services operated by companies such as Lothian Buses and FirstGroup. Park-and-ride facilities near junctions serve commuters bound for Haymarket and Waverley Station, linking with initiatives promoted by Sustrans and active travel plans endorsed by the Cycling Scotland charity. Cycling and pedestrian crossings have been retrofitted at points adjacent to conservation areas monitored by Historic Environment Scotland and route planning is coordinated with long-distance paths like the John Muir Way and local sections of the National Cycle Network.

Category:Roads in Edinburgh