Part of George Square to reopen to public as major restoration continues

A section of George Square is set to reopen to the public in early September, with the full revamp now expected to be complete in October.

Roads will go traffic-free to welcome families back to the civic space on the first weekend of September, when fences come down at the Queen Street end.

It is part of the phased reopening of the city’s main square, with the first section, along the north carriageway, coming back into use last month. Statues are due to return next month.

But plans to hold an official opening in early September have been thwarted by “complexities” during construction.

Many of the challenges have centred on the discovery of uncharted underground services that were not present on existing plans for the area, the council has said.

Work to transform the square began in May last year. The final fences are expected to be removed by the end of October.

David McEwan, divisional director for Property, City Deal and Major Projects at Glasgow City Council, said: “As with any project of this scale — and in the heart of a historic city centre — there are complexities which can arise in delivery which construction teams need to respond to and work through.

“Contractors have encountered various challenges, including the discovery of underground pipes, cables and other infrastructure that were not identified in any existing records — all of which required additional work to address.

“While it is now clear that this will mean that the full reopening of George Square will take place slightly later than originally planned, our focus remains on opening as much of the square as possible as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The event to mark the reopening of the western section, which is due to be complete at the end of August, will include “streetplay and other activities for all ages”.

Council leader Susan Aitken said: “It has been fantastic to see the new square start to emerge — and we want to welcome people back and let them see what this space is going to look like as soon as we can.

“This will be a weekend where people can walk, play and start to get to know their new square, as the biggest section yet reopens.”

She added: “People are going to see a lot of progress over the weeks ahead — with statues returning next month, as well as a lot of work on paving and planting.

“Rather than keeping the entire site closed until every element is complete, we will continue reopening sections in phases — allowing Glaswegians and visitors to start enjoying the new spaces as they are finished and ahead of the full reopening in October.”

The square’s 11 bronze statues are set to return in early August, with restoration work on the Sir Walter Scott monument nearing completion.

The laying of granite paving has recommenced on the western side of the square and will continue until the statues return, ahead of a two-week pause to allow the statues to be relocated onto their plinths.

Works are also progressing at the eastern portion of the Square and at the Cenotaph, with stone repairs ongoing before a final clean.