Drivers in a major city have been warned of new construction plans which will limit the number of driving lanes on a critical bridge to make way for more cycle-friendly routes.
The move announced by Glasgow City Centre will see the George V Bridge limit its traffic lanes from five to three to make space for more active travel routes.
Construction work is scheduled to start next week on Monday March 24 with the council stating that the road layout reconfiguration aims to deliver “a safer and more appealing environment for people who walk, wheel and cycle.”
The changes will be a direct blow to drivers who will see the 98-year old bridge start prioritising active travel for the first time in its history.
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The project will start on Monday March 24 and is expected to take 14-weeks to complete
GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL
The project includes several key features designed to enhance safety for cyclists and pedestrians. “Hard segregated cycle lanes” will be installed on both sides of the bridge, with cyclists travelling in the same direction as motorised traffic.
The cycle lanes will be resurfaced and finished with “a dense buff chip” to clearly differentiate them from the carriageway, the council noted.
Both the Broomielaw-Oswald junction and Clyde Place junction will be redesigned with “protected cycle-friendly junctions” and shorter crossing points for pedestrians. The area will also benefit from new soft landscaped areas and the addition of street trees.
New traffic signals will also be installed, and existing footways will be upgraded throughout the project area.
Construction will initially focus on the southern section of the bridge at Clyde Place before progressing northward toward the Broomielaw. The entire project is expected to take approximately 14 weeks to complete.
Advance signage will be installed at key locations to redirect pedestrians and road traffic during the construction period.
But council officials have warned that despite efforts to minimise disruption, increased traffic flows on alternative routes are anticipated. This may impact journey times for motorists who previously relied on all five lanes of the bridge.
The upgraded infrastructure will deliver what council officials describe as “a crucial node” in Glasgow’s emerging City Network.
North of the bridge, the new cycle lanes will connect with the upcoming Broomielaw/Clyde Street Avenue offering east-west active travel connections.
Meanwhile, the southern section will link to the South City Way, creating a continuous network for cyclists.
The project aligns with Glasgow’s Active Travel Strategy Vision which aims to make “walking, wheeling and cycling the first and natural choice for everyday journeys.” The council’s Road Safety Plan also seeks to help achieve “zero deaths or serious injuries by 2030.”
One of the project’s stated aims is to “reduce traffic safety concerns as a reason not to wheel, walk and cycle by reducing traffic speeds and volumes.”
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The changes will see driving lanes reduced from five to three
GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL
But the move by the council has been met with mixed views by drivers with one person sharing: “You people are quite mad! How about creating some spaces for people in cars? Your crusade against city centre businesses is continuing unabated. The commute for business people attending meetings in the city is increasing to unprecedented levels.
“A ridiculous(unused) cycle lane in Pitt St causes chaos on the Kingston Bridge every morning, now narrowing Argyle St at the Marriott is doing the same there. The sooner there’s a change of administration the better it will be for the city.”
But someone else shared: “Happy about the cycle lanes as a cyclist but please for the love of God repaint some of the road markings on this and other bridges over the Clyde, as a driver. It’s astonishing there hasn’t been a terrible crash on Glasgow bridge, in particular.”
