The real reason why Glasgow's Sauchiehall Street is being dug up

Between Rose Street and Hope Street, barriers are up and the centre of the street has been dug up for months.

But how much is known about the work going on?

The Glasgow Times has asked exactly what the work is and what impact it will have.

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The aim is to improve the appearance of the street, which has suffered from a series of major fires and empty shops as big names vacated large retail units.

BHS, Watt Brothers, Marks & Spencer HMV, and Sports Direct are among some of the recognisable brands to have deserted leaving behind a problem.

The work currently taking place, however, is designed to have a wider impact on the city centre as a whole.

Contractors are preparing a new drainage system involving planting trees that will ease pressure on the main sewer network and allow development to proceed in other streets.

A council official explained the sewerage network is at capacity and is a block to new development.

This new system being installed now will ease capacity on the drainage network to allow developments in other parts of the city centre to go ahead.

The rainwater will go into the tree pit, not into the drainage network as it does just now.

The tree pit is a root management system that directs where the roots grow to create healthier trees.

Beneath the pits where trees will be planted is a line of plastic cages that will contain the roots and soak up the rainwater.

If anything is left it goes into the drains and into the River Clyde.

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This is what is being installed now at the western side of the precinct and will be used in the other Avenues projects.

Ruairi Kelly, City Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said it is the biggest change in 50 years.

He said: “City Deal funding gave us a generational opportunity to implement the changes needed to offer a European-quality experience in the city centre.

“Our continental peers had been giving over road space to pedestrians and re-prioritising streets for decades, appreciating it not only improved the look and feel of their cities but was better for businesses and citizens.

“That’s the intention of the Avenues project – to create a more attractive, healthier, inclusive and more successful city centre.”

While the work can be frustrating for pedestrians and business owners Kelly said it is moving forward and is necessary.

He added: “The transition the city centre is currently experiencing makes this the ideal time to catch up – and we’ve had a lot of catching up to do.”

It is hoped the initial work on that top stretch between Cambridge Street and Rose Street will be complete by this summer.

Work will then move down, towards Hope Street and finally to the junction with West Nile Street.

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The trees will be the final piece of work and will be planted early next year.

The Avenues is a £115 million project funded through the City Deal meaning the cash is there irrespective of the council budget.

Also, there will be no cycle lane on the pedestrianised street, once it is complete.

The Avenues project from Charing Cross to Rose Street has a two-way cycle lane.

It will not extend beyond that point, although cyclists can still use the street as it is designated a “core path”.

The street should be fully open by Spring next year and most of the work completed before then with just the trees to go in.

The current granite paving stones on either side of where the work is taking place will be retained as they are in good condition and the bollards will remain.

The bollards are there to prevent vehicles, when they need access either for deliveries or emergency vehicles, from getting too close to the shops.

Because there are basements under the shops the pavements are not strong enough to withstand the weight of a heavy vehicle.

Business owners have suffered loss of trade over many years as a result of the fires and have been calling for investment.

Brian Fulton, Finance and Operations Director at Hold Fast Entertainment, owners of the Garage nightclub on Sauchiehall Street, said: “It’s great to see the city investing in its public realm, and this work will breathe more and much-needed new life back into this part of the city centre, which will see great change in the coming years. 

“With the work now progressing well, we can look forward to the end results benefiting everyone on Cambridge Street and the bottom end of Sauchiehall Street and that everyone can work together to minimise disruption.”

The council said the Avenues project has a variety of aims ultimately to create a modern city centre that works for everyone.

Councillor Kelly said there have been challenges and disruption and admitted the council could be better at explaining the benefits it will bring.

He said: “For example, on Sauchiehall Street, we’re contending with issues around the layout of utilities, which has delayed the work.

“The Council has to get better at communicating both the overall concept and aims of the Avenues to the public but also the impacts of the works and any delays and disruption to businesses.

“But the work completed to date shows the potential there is to not only make many of our key streets more attractive spaces but to create the infrastructure for the city centre now emerging. “There will of course be some disruption as the programme is rolled out but work is progressing at a much faster rate and we are delivering the modern, prosperous, international city Glaswegians deserve.”