East Airdrie Link Road - Stage 3 information

As part of the wider City Region Deal, North Lanarkshire Council is proposing to create a north-south route to the east of Airdrie. This will provide a new single-carriageway road link from just north of the M8 (A73/Newhouse Interchange) to the A73 to the north of Stand/Riggend. 

The East Airdrie Link Road (EALR) is the name given to the section of the Pan Lanarkshire Orbital Transport Corridor that runs between the M8 and the A73 south of Cumbernauld. This section will link with the Ravenscraig access infrastructure, south of the M8, to provide a north-south route through North Lanarkshire and to the wider City Region. 

This route will: 

• improve journey times and transport reliability.
• improve connections between residential areas, town centres, business centres, improving employment and education opportunities.
• improve air quality along the existing A73, by reducing traffic volumes and relieving congestion. 

Previous engagement 

During Stage 2 design, a range of route options for the EALR were developed and assessed against a variety of factors such as economic benefit, environmental impact, safety for all road users including pedestrians and cyclists, and active travel. 

The preferred route was chosen and taken forward to Stage 3 Preliminary Design. Early in the Stage 3 Preliminary Design process, a consultation exercise was conducted over a seven-week period between 18 November 2024 and 10 January 2025. The results from this consultation were reviewed and the Stage 3 design was further developed, considering the responses, where appropriate. 

The Stage 3 design was also revised to consider potential improvements for the local road network and integration of the new Monklands Hospital, adjacent to the proposed EALR. 

A Pre-Application Notice (25/00593/PAN), was then submitted on 28 May 2025 and was the first stage in the process of applying for planning permission.

This led to two rounds of Pre-Application Consultation in June and September 2025, where people could submit feedback on the design proposals, through a series of in-person events or online.

See what we propose to do

You can still view a copy of the drawings which were part of the most recent consultation at the link below.

Using your phone

Please note - if you are viewing the StoryMap on your phone you should view it in portrait mode as that's how it's designed to be read.

You may also need to give the images a few seconds to load.  

The period for submitting feedback as part of the Pre-Application Consultation has now closed and a summary of the consultation feedback can be found at EALR consultation | North Lanarkshire Council.

More about Stage 3 and our consultant

Our consultants, AtkinsRealis, have been helping us undertake the current phase of design, in accordance with Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) standards and from the detailed feedback which has been provided during the Stage 3 process.  

As part of the design process, the consultants have been carrying out surveys to develop the design and to inform the planning application, such as:

• environmental surveys
• ecological surveys
• additional ground investigation work

Further information and correspondence has been directly issued to all affected landowners to undertake the works required. 

Other information

The Outline Business Case (OBC) was approved at Glasgow City Region Cabinet on 6 August 2024.

Approval of the OBC has secured the next stage of funding to allow us to develop the scheme further and will require further approval through a Full Business Case (FBC).