MOTORISTS face months of disruption on the main road through Greenock as a new £300,000 crossing is installed.

The toucan crossing is being put in place on the A8 at the foot of William Street and it will replace the existing one at nearby Cross Shore Street.

Roads bosses say it will help 'improve links between Greenock town centre and the waterfront' ahead of the new Greenock Ocean Terminal cruise ship berth and visitor centre being built.

The crossing will connect onto Custom House Way.

Toucan crossings are wider than normal crossings and designed to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

There will be lane closures in place throughout the duration of the project, which will start soon and is expected to last 12 weeks.

Councillor Michael McCormick, convener of environment and regeneration, said: “This is an important project to improve links between the town centre and the amenities at the waterfront, which will include the new Greenock Ocean Terminal building, for the benefit of local people and visitors alike.

“We want as many tourists as possible to stay here and discover Inverclyde during their stopover in Greenock and this will help to do that and, hopefully, boost local businesses.

“I’d like to thank people, particularly drivers, in advance for their patience and understanding while the work is taking place.”

The project is being funded by a grant from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT).

Inverclyde councillor David Wilson, who is also chair of SPT operations committee, said: “I’m delighted SPT has been able to fund this notable project, improving connectivity and accessibility between Greenock town centre and the waterfront.

“These links are vitally important to the whole project to make the waterfront more attractive to locals and visitors to the area.”

The crossing plans have been developed by the council in partnership with Transport Scotland, which is responsible for trunk roads, and its contractor Amey, which manages the south west trunk roads network, including the A8.

A spokesperson for Amey said: “We will work closely with Inverclyde Council to ensure that this project is delivered in a way that minimises the impact to trunk road users.”