Port Glasgow Project Close to Completion
A key Port Glasgow project is nearing completion following an enforced delay by the discovery of power cables closer to the surface than expected.
A new spur road opened (under temporary signage) in November off the A8 allowing direct access to the town centre via Shore Street and Princes Street.
However a short stretch of Shore Street directly in front of the Town Hall remained closed while a solution to the cable problem was reached.
Environment & Regeneration Convener Councillor Michael McCormick said: “This was something that wasn’t anticipated and ultimately was out of our hands until it could be resolved. Happily we are now in a position to complete the resurfacing of the new intersection and the whole project should be finished by the middle of February.”
Shore Street will reopen under three-way traffic lights by the evening of Monday 5 February to allow surfacing and road markings to be completed. The new spur road from the A8 will be closed temporarily to allow this to happen.
The full re-opening of Shore Street and the spur road is expected by Friday 16 February.
Jim Stevenson from the contractor RJ McLeod said: Following resolution of the issue with existing services and on return from Christmas shutdown, we have been met with challenging weather conditions which have affected activities on site. We have extended our working period to fully utilise favourable conditions when they occur and now hope to re-open Shore Street by 16th February.”
The Port Glasgow Lower Town Quarter project received a Regeneration Capital Grant award from the Scottish Government and COSLA in 2016.
The new hard-landscaped civic space will extend over Shore Street from the front of the Town Hall towards the grass lawn on the site of the former car park.
A second phase of the works will also include the demolition of redundant buildings at the rear of the Town Hall to create a new civic square.
The project is being delivered on behalf of the Council by the urban regeneration company Riverside Inverclyde.
A Port Glasgow Town Centre Master Plan was developed in 2014 after extensive consultation with local residents and businesses identified the development of a new gateway into the town centre as a priority for investment.
In addition to the new access road from the A8 the Port Glasgow Regeneration Strategy and Master Plan recommends environmental improvements to the town centre; removal of redundant buildings; the restoration of empty shop units to provide ‘fit for purpose’ retail space and new office and commercial accommodation.