Bid to lower speeds on M8 motorway in Glasgow city

The DVLA has issued a (Photo by Peter Summers/Getty Images)

Plans to introduce low speeds on the M8 going through the city and build ‘green’ walls to shield people from pollution are being considered by Transport Scotland.

Glasgow City Council have been in discussion with the agency to look at a mandatory speed limit, which could be as low as 30mph, as well as barriers to help reduce air pollution among other measures.

The council’s convenor for transport, councillor Angus Millar, has written to the Scottish Government asking for a series of short, medium and long term measures to be explored regarding the future of the M8, which also includes better air quality monitoring for the M8 in the city.

Transport Scotland, which owns and operates the motorway, has agreed to come back on the requests in due course.

Medium term objectives include looking at options for downgrading the motorway going through Glasgow to a boulevard style road and support for a garden cap at Charing Cross.

Long term goals would see the motorway ditched and replaced with a slower road instead.

Describing the impact on the city, a council report said: “Part of the M8 motorway runs through the centre of Glasgow, separating the city centre from the north and west of the city. This barrier creates a negative impact on the city centre as a place, in terms of community severance, pollution, noise and blight of adjacent land.