Uncorking a Scots bottle

7th April 2005, Page 16

7th April 2005

Page 16

Page 16, 7th April 2005 — Uncorking a Scots bottle

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Scottish hauliers are celebrating the decision to approve a motorway

extension — but it's not yet a done deal. Guy Sheppard reports.

SCOTTISH HAULIERS say a controversial decision to build a five-mile motorway extension through the centre of Glasgow will remove one of the region's most notorious traffic bottlenecks.

The Scottish Executive approved the M74 extension in the face of a public inquiry's report that opposes the project.

Road Haulage Association region director Phil Flanders says the only motorway route through the city is along the M8 over the Kingston Bridge: "It is a huge bottleneck. The only time you don't suffer a delay there is eight o'clock at night or six in the morning. John Hume, MD of Glasgowbased John G Russell (Transport), agrees: "It is a nightmare and for an ever lengthening period of the day as well. Like all cities where a motorway runs through its heart, the entire central area is congested for large parts of the day."

Hume says more than threequarters of journeys from Russell's main depot at Hillington involve crossing the bridge every day: "We're seven or eight miles from the centre and the queues can almost run right back to us."

Scottish Transport Minister Nicol Stephen says the public inquiry recommendation did not give enough weight to the benefits:"This project is good news for business and local communities."

But JAM74, an alliance of pressure groups, is continuing to fight the extension. saying it will generate more traffic and disrupt local communities.

JAM74 claims the road could cost up to Mit and will be an outrageous waste of public money.