Thursday January 22nd 2026
One bridge going over the M8 at Kinning Park Subway (photo by Councillor Dan Hutchison).
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Sarah Hilley
Residents are “fed up” waiting for removed bridges over the M8 in Glasgow to be put back in place after they were were taken down in July 2024.
The Cessnock and Kinning Park bridges at Kirkwood Street and Cornwall Street were dismantled to examine deteriorated concrete and have still to be re-instated due to delays.
The missing walkways over the motorway are causing disruption for Bellahouston Academy pupils, who are having to take detours, as well as people going to work in the area, according to local councillor Dan Hutchison.
Councillor Hutchison told the LDRS: “Residents are a bit fed up. People are wondering if they are not going to put them back. This is key public infrastructure.”
He has written a letter to a Scottish Government cabinet secretary demanding answers about whether the bridges will be restored and what are the problems with the structures.
He said many of his constituents “have expressed deep frustration with the continual delays and lack of communication from Transport Scotland and their contractor Amey regarding the bridges over the M8 at Cessnock and Kinning Park.”
The Your Party local politician said it was expected the bridges would be reinstated before Christmas in 2024 but Amey said work will not start again until September this year.
Councillor Hutchison added: “These bridges are essential for mobility in our communities. Bellahouston Academy lies just to the south of the Kirkwood Street bridge, and the school community relies heavily on the mobility from the Paisley Road West Corridor with its bus and subway links.
“Additionally, the hospitality businesses in this area are facing a reduction in their custom from the school due to the additional distance needed to travel via alternate bridges. It is also a crucial part of the National Cycle Network route 7.
“The Cornwall Street bridge sits directly above Kinning Park Subway and serves as a key pedestrian route for the workplaces on the other side of the motorway.”
A spokesperson for Amey, the company who maintain the South-West Trunk Road Network on behalf of Transport Scotland, said: “The true condition of the Kirkwood Street and Cornwall Street footbridges, that span the M8, could only be understood upon removal to determine the level of concrete deterioration.
“The spans removed in Summer 2024 required additional essential testing, which caused unfortunate delays to the re-instatement programme.
“However, the vital information gathered during this process will ensure greater resilience and longevity of the spans when they are re-installed.
“The project is now in the design stage to incorporate the results of the concrete analysis, and it is anticipated that on-site work will resume by Summer 2026.
“We recognise the disruption to the local community and are committed to delivering a robust solution that will serve them for years to come. In the meantime, we have improved pedestrian signage and cut-back vegetation to improve path accessibility for users.
“Updates to this project will be announced on our website swtrunkroads.scot including our free, roadwork alerts service.”
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