Scottish Water has announced a half-mile long new sewer tunnel is to be installed beneath the streets of the Yoker area of Glasgow.

The works are part of a £7 million project to help improve the water quality and natural environment of the River Clyde and tackle flooding issues.

The scheme involves developing a new sewer tunnel from the ground of the former Blawarthill Hospital to the north bank of the Clyde.

A new Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) will also be built with powered screens at the former hospital site near Dyke Road and another off Dumbarton Road (A814).

The project will improve water quality on the Yoker Burn culvert and the Clyde, helping tackle flooding issues which have affected a commercial property in Dumbarton Road.

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The new stretch of sewer will be approximately eight metres deep and will be installed using a specially developed Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) rather than using the open cut method of excavating.

The new CSO at the former hospital grounds will spill waste water in storm conditions to the new sewer, which will discharge the waste water to the River Clyde, as permitted by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The contractor for the works is George Leslie, who is expected to complete the work in a year (depending on weather conditions).

The project is part of a £10.5 million investment in improvements to Scottish Water's waste water infrastructure in the Yoker area and part of Clydebank which began in November 2014.

Overall, the improvement work is in line with Scottish Water's £250 million investment in the Greater Glasgow waste water network.

Mrs Joanna Peebles, Scottish Water's Regional Communities Team Manager, said: "This important project will significantly improve the environment on the Yoker Burn, which is partially culverted, and the Clyde.

"Scottish Water has liaised with all relevant organisations and stakeholders, including Glasgow City Council as the project will include work in part of Yoker Primary School’s grounds and there will be some construction traffic on roads in the area and a small amount of road traffic management required."

(LM)