Credit: Adriana Iuliano
Writer
Fresh proposals have been put forward to install a pedestrianised cover above part of the M8 that runs through Central Glasgow.
The plans, which are currently entering the feasibility study stage, involve fitting a roof garden cap above the motorway, in the area between Mitchell Library and Sauchiehall Street.
The aim is to reconnect Central Glasgow to the West End and to regenerate the city centre.
The cap would be fitted at street level and would create an area for green spaces and cycling. It would also make it easier to reach parts of the city which lie to the west of the M8, making walking and cycling between Sauchiehall Street Woodlands Road, Renfrew Street, St George’s Road, North Street, and Newton Street much easier.
These areas are currently only accessible over a pedestrianised flyover bridge.
A council spokesman said: “While the idea of a cap over the M8 is only one of the proposals now entering the feasibility study stage, it does reflect our ambitions and priorities in putting people at the centre of the regeneration of the city centre.
“Considering how we can best create a district that is healthy and sustainable, with inviting public spaces and a transport network that is easy to get around for everyone, will help to create a thriving city centre.
“The feasibility study will allow us to make an informed decision on the way forward for these proposals based on the costs and benefits, opportunities and challenges that face us as we look to develop the Charing Cross area.”
However, some nearby residents are against the idea. Lucy Wilkinson, a second year Politics student at the University of Glasgow highlights the high cost and disruptions that would be caused with road closures, stating, “The money, time and energy would be better spent regenerating the city in other ways.”
Estimates for when construction could begin have not yet been put forward.
