Work on Sauchiehall Precinct & Cambridge Street Avenue to begin this month

Published: 8 September 2023

Work to deliver the next Avenue in Glasgow city centre - the Sauchiehall Precinct & Cambridge Street Avenue - will begin on 27 September.

The £5.7million Sauchiehall Precinct will connect to the Sauchiehall Avenue at Rose Street and stretch to West Nile Street, with the connecting Cambridge Street Avenue stretching to Cowcaddens Road. This Avenue will be part of wider network of new, attractive, accessible, safe, sustainable and easily-maintained routes throughout the city centre being delivered through the Glasgow City Region City Deal-funded Avenues programme. The Avenues are people-focused, encourage active travel and are more attractive to residents, workers, visitors and investors.

The works on this project will deliver a significant improvement in the public realm on Cambridge Street and the bottom of Sauchiehall Street. Roads, pavements and footways on the streets will be reconstructed, with new kerbing, traffic signals, 40 new street trees, rain gardens and street lighting features of the work.

Preparatory work - trial pits and site set-up - has now begun, and the Sauchiehall Precinct & Cambridge Street Avenue will be completed towards the end of the summer of 2024.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: "The work soon to begin on the latest Avenue in the city centre will help to bring an improved environment on both Cambridge Street and the bottom of Sauchiehall Street. These streets will form part of the Avenue network across the city centre that will not only make the area more attractive for everyone in it, but make it easier for people to get around as they walk, wheel and cycle."

Scottish Government Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray said: "I welcome progress on revitalising Glasgow's shopping heartland, a key priority for our £500 million Glasgow City Region City Deal funding for infrastructure.  By making it easier and safer to walk or cycle, this Scottish Government-supported scheme can attract more visitors and residents back to the city centre.  Increased footfall will boost local businesses in line with our ambitions to create a wellbeing economy which is green and growing."

UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: "The transformational work beginning on Sauchiehall Precinct & Cambridge Street Avenue will create safe, sustainable and modern places for visitors and residents to shop and visit, helping to bring new businesses and investment to the area. The UK Government is investing £50m in Glasgow's most iconic streets and civic spaces as part of our £524m support for the Glasgow City Region Deal."

The £115million Avenues programme is funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal, which is funded by the Scottish and UK Governments. The Glasgow City Region City Deal will see both governments each provide £500million of funding for infrastructure projects.

More information on the Avenues project is available here.