THE next phase of works is set to begin on Monday to complete a £6.5 million innovative cycle route that has been years in the making.

Phase 4B of the South City Way (SCW) will see the route taken along Gorbals Street and Victoria Bridge with public realm works also getting underway.

It is expected to be ready in Spring 2022 with the final phase of the 3k cycle way being completed a year later.

Initial reports in 2017 detailing the plans claimed it would be finished by 2018, before this was pushed to 2019.

Council bosses hailed the next chapter in the building works but cycle campaigners expressed frustration that the full route will not be ready until 2023.

Thomas Cornwallis, co-convenor of GoBike, said: "We are disappointed to hear that the SCW is delayed till start of 2023, but we do look forward to seeing it finally completed.

"We hope that with the delay on the next sections, that the new Active Travel Strategy can start now to allow a growing network of routes for all coming off the SCW when reaches the river.

"We also hope that council does full review, to make sure that what happened to the SCW does not happen again, especially if they hope to achieve 200km+ by 2030."

Construction work on the cycle route began with a stretch between Coplaw Street and Cumberland Street in 2018.

Glasgow Times:

Queen's Park Station to Coplaw Street started in April 2019 but work was delayed due to the pandemic and this section was not finished until December 2020.

The construction included new cycle tracks on both sides of Victoria Road, footway resurfacing, and the creation of five new public spaces at existing closed off streets.

Improvements were also made to the pedestrian crossings along the road while a new style of 'protected junction' was implemented as part of a trial at the Allison Street and Calder Street junctions on Victoria Road.

Meanwhile, public art was also unveiled along the route by pupils at Blackfriars Primary.

Phase 4A was carried out from December 2020 to April 2021 and included the Cumberland Street, Gorbals Street and Cathcart Road junction.

Now 4B is set to begin and will include a bi-directional cycle lane along the west side of Gorbals Street and Victoria Bridge, a central reserve incorporating street trees and upgraded bus stops, and widened footways and upgraded crossing facilities along the length of this section.

This will include tree planting and more space for theatre goers outside the Citizen's Theatre.

Councillor Anna Richardson, Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, said: “It’s great to see real progress being made on South City Way.

“Creating a network of safe cycling infrastructure is a clear goal for the city and the work starting on Gorbals Street will provide a crucial connection to the national network at Clyde Street.

“But this leg of the South City Way will also include improvements to footways, new signals at junctions and better infrastructure for public transport users.

“A key part of the project will also be the improvements to the public realm around the Citizen’s Theatre, creating more space for theatre goers immediately outside the venue.”

The second last phase, 4C, will finish the route at Clyde Street and the Bridgegate junction before the final Phase 5 will cover Bridgegate and King Street.

These last sections are still at design stage but are expected to be completed in Spring 2023.