ReGlasgow

CITY Centre Street Makeover Programme Hit By Challenges

27 September, 2022 | Active Travel, Public Realm

WORK on the next people-friendly city centre ‘Avenue’ is expected to start in early 2023, following several years of delays to the programme.

An update to city councillors states that delivery has been “significantly impacted” by issues associated with Brexit, the covid pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine including increased cost of materials and labour, shortage of materials and longer delivery times.

The Avenues programme aims to transform 17 key streets in Glasgow’s city centre, introducing a network of pedestrian and cycle priority routes.

The report states: “The challenges were evident late-2019 when two construction tenders (Argyle Street West/Cambridge Street and Sauchiehall Precinct) were deferred due to higher-than-expected tender returns and an inability to agree on contract terms.”

Rsk mitigation measures have been applied to the recently published construction contract for Holland Street (and Pitt Street).

The procurement process for that Avenue is expected to close at the end of this month when a “lessons-learned report” will be produced and reported back to the Avenues Board for consideration.

A full programme review is then to be undertaken. The update states: “This will provide an accurate understanding of the market, and allow the Avenues team to re-programme and prioritise work accordingly.”

The pilot Avenue on Sauchiehall Street was completed in 2019 but no construction work has taken place since.

Holland Street design

The report indicates that Holland Street/Pitt Street will be the next Avenue to progress to construction. It is expected that a preferred contractor will be identified late-2022 and that work on site will commence early-2023.

The Underline Phase 2 (New City Road) has been placed on hold until the ongoing M8 emergency works are complete. Cathedral Street has also been placed on hold until the outcomes of the city’s Transport Strategy and subsequent City Centre Transformation Plan (CCTP) have been approved.

Design activity for Argyle Street West and Argyle Street East is nearing completion. It is expected that construction tender packages for both of these projects will be ready for publication late 2022/early-2023.

The Underline Phase 1 (Cambridge Street) and Sauchiehall Precinct have been developed as a single package of works. Design activity is nearing completion and it is expected that a construction tender package will be ready for publication late-2022.

Stakeholder engagement for South Portland Street is underway this month.

South Portland Street
Initial design for South Portland Street

It is expected that a concept design for George Square and the surrounding streets will be submitted to the Avenues Board for approval early November-2022.

Design work for Broomielaw/Clyde Street will start mid-2023 and for Elmbank Street/Elmbank Crescent and Stockwell/Glassford Street in late 2023. Design work remains ongoing for North Hanover Street;

It is expected that a concept design will be developed early-2023 for High Street.

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