A749 road

East Kilbride

The road starts off at a roundabout called "The Whirlies", with a junction for the A725 road, starting as a dual carriageway. Running north it meets another roundabout for the A749 spur which leads onto the A725 road. The road continues past the Kingsgate Retail Park (Nerston) and the junction for the road to the Stewartfield district. After a traffic light junction the road becomes National Speed Limit descending down a long hill towards Rutherglen offering panoramic views over Greater Glasgow.

Rutherglen

Around two miles north-west there is a grade separated staggered junction for the B759 road to Cambuslang/Kirkhill and Carmunnock and the road reduces to a 40-mile-per-hour speed limit. The junction can be dangerous due to the speeds involved, and the fact that the traffic for Cambuslang queues in the fast lane at busy times and crosses the southbound lanes, as does traffic from the B road onto the northbound carriageway. Fatalities have occurred^[1][2] and the construction of a new residential development in the adjacent fields led to safety measures being proposed in 2017.^[3]

The road continues after another roundabout where an unclassified road for Cathkin joins. The road continues for another brief spell as a 40-mile-per-hour dual carriageway passing the Springhall and Whitlawburn housing schemes.

Soon afterwards the road drops to a 30-mile-per-hour zone and the dual carriageway section ends at a junction with the A730 road at Burnside railway station. Turning right onto Stonelaw Road through the Burnside district the road continues down to Rutherglen town centre, meeting the historic Main Street at Rutherglen Cross. It crosses over the West Coast Main Line railway beside Rutherglen railway station, and under the M74 motorway (however offers no access). A junction with the A724 (Cambuslang Road) at Farme Cross is followed by crossing the River Clyde; passing the Clyde Walkway, the road enters Dalmarnock and the City of Glasgow proper still heading in a northwesterly direction.

Glasgow

The road approaches Bridgeton where it meets the Glasgow East End Regeneration Route (A728) at Dalmarnock railway station and continues past the B763 road as Dalmarnock Road, although signs suggest Dunn Street heading west is the A749 when this is incorrect.

At Bridgeton Cross the road switches to London Road (with small sections swapping designation with the A74 near to Glasgow Green) and carries on west to Glasgow City Centre, passing Calton and The Barras flea market. It forms a brief part of the one-way system along with the A89 road (Gallowgate) on the eastern edge of the Merchant City.

It ends at Glasgow Cross, a grade junction with the A8 road (High Street/Saltmarket), as Trongate (which was historically part of the A82 road) continues into the heart of the City Centre unclassified.