A720 | |
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Route information | |
Part of | |
Length: | 13 mi (21 km) |
Major junctions | |
East end: | Old Craighall |
A1 road A68 road A6106 road A7 road A772 road A701 road A702 road A71 road M8 motorway A8 road |
|
West end: | South Gyle |
Location | |
Primary destinations: |
Forth Road Bridge, Edinburgh, Musselburgh, Berwick-upon-Tweed |
Road network | |
The Edinburgh City Bypass, designated as A720, is one of the most important trunk roads in Scotland. Circling around the south of Edinburgh, as the equivalent of a ring road for the coastal city, it links together the A1 towards north-east England, the A702 towards north-west England, the M8 through the Central Belt towards Glasgow, the A7 through south-east Scotland and north-west England as well as the A8 leading to the M9 for Stirling and the Forth Road Bridge.
The road is dual carriageway standard throughout, including emergency laybys and hard shoulders in areas. The road is classed as a special road in legal terms. Every motorway in the UK is termed a special road in that specific regulations govern its use. Not every special road is signed as a motorway and this bypass is one of those roads.
Between Gogar and Sheriffhall junctions (see below) the A720 forms part of European route E15, which runs from Inverness, in northern Scotland, to Algeciras, in southern Spain. North of Gogar, the E15 runs towards the A90 and the Forth Road Bridge; and south of Sheriffhall along the A68.