THE main roadworks phase of the £24 million transformation of Greenock is to begin at the end of July.
Preparatory roadworks are scheduled to start on July 27 with lane closures around the Bullring Roundabout followed by roadworks from August 3, which will see the closure of the A78 High Street flyover and a section of the A8 between Wallace Place and the eastern side of Dalrymple Street opposite Tesco.
The closures are to allow for the demolition of the High Street flyover and south side of the Bullring Roundabout to be replaced with low level signalised junctions as part of the Central Greenock redevelopment project.
These temporary measures on the Bullring are expected to be in place until July 2027. Following this, the traffic management will be altered to allow for the demolition of the north side of the Bullring to be completed.
All roadworks are due for completion by late 2027 and further details about the second phase will be made available nearer the time. An alternative route will also be in operation between Ratho Street and Barr’s Cottage for the duration of the roadworks.
The central Greenock project is largely funded by the UK Government and is being delivered by Inverclyde Council and main contractor Balfour Beatty. The redevelopment is designed to open up the town centre and improve access for pedestrians and vehicles while removing ageing infrastructure.
The first stage of the project saw the demolition of Hector McNeil House with work now ongoing to knock down the eastern section of the Oak Mall before attention turns to removing the A78 flyover which runs over the top of the shopping centre.
Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said, “The Central Greenock project is really gathering pace and this is another significant milestone in the modernisation of the town centre and comes on the back of the recent Pride in Place Plan launch which will see a further £20m invested in Greenock over the next decade.
“We know how frustrating roadworks can be and there will inevitably be disruption during this vital phase of the project but every effort is being made to keep the disruption to an absolute minimum and, crucially, ensure Greenock Town Centre remains open for business throughout.
“It’s important that people plan ahead and leave extra time for their journeys.”
