The illustrious Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow is poised for a grand transformation, courtesy of a £5.6m beautification project. This prominent urban artery, ever buzzing with activity, will soon be adorned with 40 new trees, state-of-the-art lighting, and a complete overhaul of roads and footpaths.
This ambitious initiative is part of the city’s ongoing Avenues programme, a project that aims to give a fresh, vibrant look to Glasgow’s city centre. The programme, funded by both the Scottish and UK Governments, boasts an impressive budget of £115 million and aims to make the city more appealing, greener, and economically competitive.
The project entails the creation of an attractive public realm, complete with new kerbing, traffic signals, rain gardens, and street lighting. The revamping of footways and carriageways will not only give the city a facelift but also provide a “high quality public realm”. This transformation seeks to rebalance traffic modes, introduce green and SMART infrastructure, and place the needs of people at the heart of the project vision and design strategy.
The Avenues programme represents the largest project of its kind in the UK and is designed to foster a more inviting environment for everyone in the city centre. The project’s focus is not just aesthetic but also functional, aiming to improve connections around the area and promote more walking, cycling, and wheeling. A key part of the network, the latest Avenue on Cambridge Street and a stretch of Sauchiehall Street, will offer substantial benefits to a part of the city poised for significant change in the coming years.
The Sauchiehall Street Precinct and Cambridge Street Avenue are among the key locations set to benefit from this programme. The project will introduce increased pedestrian and cycle space, continuous footways, segregated cycle lanes, green/blue infrastructure, reduced street clutter, intelligent street lighting (ISL), and enhanced lighting features. All these improvements are aimed at making the city more accessible, safe, sustainable, and attractive to residents, workers, visitors, and investors alike.
The project, steered by MacLay Civil Engineering Ltd, is set to commence in September and aims for completion by summer 2024. The selection of MacLay was the result of a “mini-competition process,” with the final business case set to go before the City Deal Chief Executive’s Group for approval. The Avenues programme, with Sauchiehall Street as one of its flagship projects, signifies Glasgow’s commitment to urban development, sustainability, and promoting active lifestyles.
The Sauchiehall Street makeover signifies a crucial step in the city’s comprehensive plan to transform 21 key streets and adjacent areas in Glasgow city centre by 2028. It’s worth noting that the total budget for the project came in significantly under the allocated £6.65m, resulting in a cost avoidance saving of over £1m, a testament to the effective planning and execution of this ambitious project.
In conclusion, the Sauchiehall Street makeover is set to redefine Glasgow’s urban landscape, creating a harmonious blend of functionality, sustainability, and aesthetics. The revamp will not only enhance the city’s beauty, but also catalyze its progress towards becoming a truly modern, people-friendly city. With the commencement of this project, Glasgow takes a firm step towards creating a future where urban development and sustainability coexist in perfect harmony.
