THE next phase of the ‘biggest transformation of Glasgow’s public realm in decades’ is to get underway in early 2025, the city’s local authority has announced.
Rainton Construction will begin the £8 million revamp of Duke Street and John Knox Street as part of the multi-million-pound Avenues Plus programme in January, with the South Portland Street Avenue project in Laurieston commencing in the same month.
The contract for the Cowcaddens Road and Dobbies Loan avenues will be awarded in early December, with work due to begin in February – with completion scheduled for late winter and spring 2026.
Transforming the look and feel of many key thoroughfares, the introduction of avenues will better connect the city centre with neighbourhoods on its fringes which have been both experiencing development and residential growth in recent years and are key entrance points to ‘downtown’ Glasgow.
Councillor Angus Millar, convener for climate, transport, and city centre recovery at Glasgow City Council, said, “The city centre is experiencing a period of significant transition but so too are those communities on its peripheries. Some are unrecognisable from just a few years.
“The commission of experts we tasked with providing us with recommendations to improve connectivity around Glasgow proposed extending the Avenues out of the core city centre and that’s now happening. In just over a year’s time Glaswegians will see areas ignored for too long positively transformed.
“Some disruption is inevitable over the 15 months of construction, particularly given the importance of some of the routes. But the Council and our construction partners will ensure we do all we can to keep that to the minimum and keep Glaswegians and businesses informed.
“At the end we’ll have the high-quality public realm and transport infrastructure a modern European city like Glasgow deserves.”
