East End opens up with new roadway running clear

A vintage bus opened the new roadway on Thursday 26 April 2012. pic by Ian Watson

The £25 million Clyde Gateway (the East End Regeneration Route) opened to traffic on Thursday 26 April 2012. It is a key piece of infrastructure associated with Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the expectation is it will bring jobs and economic advantage to the East End of Glasgow – Shawfield and Dalmarnock in particular – by improving accessibility.

The four-lane, 2.6km carriageway links the Oatlands and the M74 junction at Polmadie in the south to the Forge Retail Park in the north. Designed by Gronmij and built through a joint venture between Farrans and I&H Brown, it will give easy access to Celtic Park, where the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games will be held, the Commonwealth Arena, Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and the Athletes’ Village.

This will be a critical route to transport some of the 18,000 athletes and support staff and hundreds of thousands of spectators expected during the Games. Afterwards, the roadway will be a legacy for the benefit of the local community.

Traffic congestion on existing local roads should also ease, especially during peak times. Recent traffic modelling studies have shown that there will be a reduction in traffic across the major east/west arteries crossing road around London Road and Gallowgate and in association with the new M74 link, this will free up road space to allow for additional walking, cycling and bus routes to be put in place.

Phase 1 of the road opened in April 2007 as part of the development of new housing in the Oatlands area and was officially re-named- New Rutherglen Road. Phase 1A followed in April 2010, running from the Polmadie junction of the M74 and Shawfield Stadium. This stretch totals 1.5km.

The Chris Hoy velodrome is in the background. pic by Ian Watson

Phase 2 is the longest section, crossing the Clyde at Rutherglen Bridge and passing Dalmarnock Railway Station, the Commonwealth Arena and Celtic Park before joining the Parkhead by-pass at the Forge Retail Park

Brian Devlin, Executive Director for Land and Environmental Services said: ‘The Clyde Gateway creates a new, direct link between the completed M74 and the heart of Glasgow’s East End. This will offer fantastic new opportunities for people and business either currently living or based in this part of Glasgow or looking to move there. This is part of the wider regeneration of the city.

Neil MacDonald, Chairman of Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company said: ‘The M74 has already shown that new roads play a very important part in businesses choosing where to make crucial investment decisions and there is no doubt that Shawfield and Dalmarnock in particular will benefit from this new piece of infrastructure. Our on-going efforts to attract developers to the East End have been helped immensely by this road opening and I’d like to thank Glasgow City Council for again demonstrating their commitment to the long-term regeneration of the Clyde Gateway area.’

Children on bikes got an early trial run on the new Clyde Gateway road system.

Prior to the formal opening when traffic started flowing, children from four primary schools in the east end were given the chance to try out the newest section of the road.

More than 100 Primary 6 and 7 pupils from St Michael’s, St Anne’s, Dalmarnock and Quarrybrae primary schools cycled around an obstacle course set up on part of the new tarmac running from new Oatlands over Rutherglen Bridge, through Dalmarnock to Gallowgate.

The children experienced, first hand, the road’s new cycling facilities including dedicated cycle lanes and extended footpaths that are provided along the full length of the route.

They also got the chance to brush up on their safety skills with Glasgow City Council road safety officers and Strathclyde Police cyclists and motorcyclists.  Dr Bike offered advice on maintaining bikes and gave practical demonstrations to ensure they were fit for the road.

As well as providing better facilities for cyclists, the new road, funded entirely by the Council, will improve public transport links and accessibility around the East End.

With phase one opened as part of the Oatlands new neighbourhood development last year, phase two of the 2.4km stretch runs over Rutherglen Bridge, continues via Dunn Street, Poplin Street, Dalmarnock Road, Mordaunt Street, London Road and Camlachie to join the existing road network at the Parkhead by-pass, Forge Retail Park.

The facts of building a new motorway are all here. pic by Ian Watson

TheClydeGateway (Phase 2) Facts

1.   More than 35,000tonnes of asphalt used to lay roads, footpaths and cycle ways.

2.  800m of 2.74m diameter tunnel used to alleviate storm water flooding.

3.  More than 250 trees planted and 40,000 sq m of landscaping to the road corridor.

4.  10km of new drainage pipes installed for new roads.

5.  250 new traffic signal heads installed over seven junctions.

6.  330 new lighting columns.

7.  Construction period 2 years (April 2010 to April 2012)

Women evicted from Council meeting

Labour councillors were called ‘two-faced sods’ by citizens in the public gallery at today’s full Council Meeting. Three women were ejected as they shouted at the Councillors who had passed a resolution which served the death knell on the Accord Centre in Dalmarnock.

All are mothers of adult children with cerebral palsy, autism and similar learning disabilities. Along with almost 50 other families, they use the Accord Centre as a day centre and social meeting place.

But Glasgow City Council is in the process of closing it as the space is needed for a car park for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Users have been fighting for months to get the Council to keep its promised of a ‘like for like’ centre to replace the Accord.

A proposal by the SNP councillors for a ‘replacement facility which meets users’ agreed requirements,’ and amended by the Green Party councillors; was defeated.

Instead, the current administration’s plan that Accord users are dispersed to the Bambury Centre in Camlachie, and the Riddrie Day Centre, was passed.

But as Cheryl McArthur said: ‘I’d love to go to the Riddrie Day Centre. It is very nice. But they’ve told me I can’t go because it is full.’

When the vote was taken,

Accord centre users with two of the mums who were ejected from the Council Chambers and SNP Councillor Billy McAllister

the mothers in the public gallery couldn’t contain their anger.

Said Mary McArthur: ‘I feel so angry they couldn’t get their facts right. One councillor said the Banbury was only six years old. It is nearer 16 years old and in one of the worst crime spots in the city. The centre is not a safe place for vulnerable people like our sons and daughters to go to.’

George (43) is the son of Maureen Crone and was sitting beside her in the tickets only public gallery. ‘A man grabbed my Mum by the arm. I’m not happy about that,’ he said. Mum Maureen added: ‘He has a very keen sense of what is right and fair. He sees this as assault.’ For herself she said: ‘The situation is terrible. The lies that were told made me angry. And I had to speak out, but I was threatened that if I didn’t go out quietly with the attendant they’d get the police to me.’

The issue cannot be raised again in the Council Chamber for six months according to the rules of the house.

Afterwards another of the Accord users said: ‘This is a disgrace. But the quicker there is an election the better, and we can get all the Labour Councillors out.’

Labour Councillor Alistair Watson who spoke in favour of his party’s proposal as ‘an improvement’ and a ‘further step towards the modernisation of day services,’ said: ‘Users should be thankful they are being moved to the Banbury which has improved services.’  Labour Councillor George Redmond of Calton, said: ‘we need to work with users to bring about a satisfactory solution.’ Green Party Councillors supported the SNP’s motion which was defeated. But since Labour hold 47 seats and SNP 19, that was always going to be the only outcome.

Accord Centre families are already looking for people to stand against the Labour Party Councillors they consider have let them down badly on this fundamental service.

Following the publication of this story on the website: www.localnewsglasgow , Glasgow City Council asked for detailed information about the Accord to be published. We are happy to do so:

Glasgow City Council told this website that the Accord Centre is closing as part of the Learning Disabilities Service’s day service reform. ‘This makes it very clear that the number of day centres in the city for people with learning disabilities would be reduced from eight to five,’ said a spokesman. ‘Two other centres have already shut down and the Accord Centre will be third to close. This is entirely in keeping with a plan that pre-dates Glasgow securing the Commonwealth Games in November 2007.’

He added: ‘It is also the case that the centre is closing because it is in poor physical condition and serious health and safety concerns have been raised in relation to the use of the centre. In other words – the Accord Centre would have been a candidate for closure in any event.

‘It is fully accepted that the site of the Accord Centre will be used to support the Athlete’s village during the 2014 games. However, it must be stressed that changes at the Accord are being driven by reforms to the Learning Disability Service first and foremost. It should also be noted that the site in question will eventually be used for a mix of social and private housing.’

This website must obtain special permission to visit the Accord Centre and has been told that no unauthorised visit by the media is permitted.