A NEW £500,000 spur road to create a new entrance into Port Glasgow town centre is set to open to traffic.

The road has been built off the A8 forming a junction with Shore and Princes Street and is nearly ready.

Work started three months ago and councillors and community campaigners believe it will benefit the town centre.

Regeneration convener Councillor Michael McCormick said: “The new road opens up the town centre to traffic directly from the main route in and out of Inverclyde.

“It should significantly boost existing businesses and attract fresh investment into the area.

“Providing better connections into the town centre was one of the high priority recommendations of the regeneration masterplan for Port Glasgow so I am delighted we are about to see this phase of the project completed before the festive period.” 

The new road will have footways on either side and a grass lawn will be created on the site of the present car park while a new hard-landscaped civic square will extend over Shore Street from the front of the town hall. 

Once the spur road is opened, this stretch of road directly in Shore Street will be closed to traffic to facilitate the new resurfacing.

Anne Ross, chairperson of Port Glasgow West Community Council, said: “It’s the next step in Port Glasgow’s regeneration.

“We have shipbuilding, housebuilding and a retail park.

“It’s really all good news, we can hardly recognise ourselves.” 

Councillor Drew McKenzie said: “It will bring the three areas, the retail park, superstore and traditional town centre together as one.

“I think it’s going to help the town.”

The project is being delivered on behalf of the council by urban regeneration company Riverside Inverclyde.

Chief executive Fiona Maguire said: “This is the latest phase of the ongoing regeneration of Port Glasgow and we hope this will make a real difference to the traders in Port Glasgow.”

The Port town revamp also includes the demolition of redundant buildings at the rear of the town hall to create a civic square, environmental improvements, restoration of empty shop units to provide fit for purpose retail space and new office and commercial accommodation.