East Renfrewshire Council has announced that work is to get underway on the second phase of active travel improvements to Ayr Road in Newton Mearns.

The project will be transformational for people walking, wheeling, and cycling along the busy A77.

A public consultation exercise in 2020 found that many users felt the section between North Hillhead Road and the Malletsheugh roundabout was not suitable.

The improvement works were split into two phases, with North Hillhead Road to the M77 overbridge completed in phase one last year.

Running between the M77 overbridge and Malletsheugh junction, the route will be completely off-road and will separate pedestrians and cyclists for much of its length. The road itself will benefit from extensive resurfacing.

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At Malletsheugh, the existing roundabout will be replaced by a new traffic light-controlled junction, featuring an innovative 'Dutch-style' design, one of only a handful in Scotland to date, providing separate pedestrian and cycle crossings on all four sides. Sensors will keep vehicles flowing smoothly and detect approaching cyclists.

A new toucan, shared pedestrian and cyclist, crossing will also be installed at Maidenhill. This will particularly help residents to access the nearby bus stop with services towards Newton Mearns town centre and beyond.

Councillor Danny Devlin, Convener for Housing and Environment, said: "This investment will further enhance facilities for active travel on Ayr Road, following upgrades to the path along the rural section of the road last year. This part of the road has long been challenging for residents using active travel, so it's great to see improvements coming to fruition. I'm pleased that the route between the M77 overbridge and Malletsheugh junction will be completely off-road and will separate pedestrians and cyclists for much of its length, boosting the safety and comfort for all of our road users."

The project has been designed in collaboration with consultancy firm Mott MacDonald and funded via grants provided by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Transport Scotland. Newlay Civil Engineering Ltd have been appointed to construct the scheme.