The engineering geology of the A74M and M6 in the Solway area

This report is an assessment of the geotechnical data and engineering geology characteristics of the Quaternary deposits identified from ground investigations for the M6 and M74 extension corridor from Carlisle to Kirkpatrick- Fleming, connecting the motorway network between Scotland and England. The work was carried out under the Quaternary of the South of Scotland Project (BGS Integrated Geoscience Surveys (North) Programme). The ground investigations for the road extension are from M74 Beattock to M6 Ecclechan to Carlisle (1988), A74M Glasgow to Carlisle Trunk Road (M74 Gretna to Kirkpatrick-Fleming) (1989) and M6 Extension to Scottish Border). The data from the ground investigations were added to the National Geotechnical Properties Database with a lithostratigraphical code using information supplied by A A McMillan and J W Merritt based on the findings of a new survey of the Quaternary geology of the Solway. Assessment of geotechnical data was used to describe the engineering geological characteristics of the deposits encountered and specifically it provided guidance on the origin of some problematical deposits, which could be either weathered bedrock or Quaternary glaciolacustrine deposits.