One lane for traffic, wider pavements and trees: Sauchiehall Street set for radical shake-up
Work's due to start on January 8
A £7.2million project to regenerate Sauchiehall Street is set to begin in January.
Radical proposals will reduce the street to one lane of traffic while adding a two-way cycle lane, wider pavements and trees between Charing Cross and Rose Street.
The pavements will be expanded to free up space for pedestrians and help create a ‘café culture’ on both sides of Sauchiehall Street.
In addition, 28 trees - in a variety of species, with attractive colours throughout the year - will be planted along the Avenue, along with new bus shelters, cycle stands, seating, smart city infrastructure and improved street lighting.
The project is expected to be completed by summer 2019.
The Sauchiehall Street Avenue will be the first of sixteen such avenues to be created in Glasgow in the coming years.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “The Sauchiehall Street Avenue project will play a key role in the regeneration of one of Glasgow’s most famous streets, one which for generations has been a leading destination for shoppers, workers, students, theatre and concert-goers as well as people visiting bars and restaurants.
“This project will make the Charing Cross - Rose Street stretch of Sauchiehall Street an even more attractive location and a welcoming gateway to the city centre.
“The work on the Avenue will improve connections for everyone, especially pedestrians and cyclists, and this greater connectivity will bring economic, environmental and social benefits to all those individuals and organisations who use the area.
“This is the first example of our new approach to realising the full potential of the city centre and in doing so, create economic growth for all of Glasgow’s people.”
Stuart Patrick, Chief Executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, said: “The section of Sauchiehall Street which is the focus of the investment programme is one of the main destinations in Glasgow’s night-time economy, and with the right level of care it will be a genuinely distinctive asset to the city.
“It has its challenges - pavements are ragged, waste bins proliferate, there’s too much street clutter and it has to cope with being a primary gateway for traffic into the city centre.
“With this investment that will change, and the Avenues is an important project in Glasgow’s new city centre strategy."