A key project in the Hamilton Ahead Initiative is about to start in the town.

The Town Centre Action Plan will begin in March this year and includes the realignment of the road network between Motherwell Road roundabout and Hamilton's New Cross area. Work will create a new dual carriageway which will dispense with the old one-way system and introduce two-way traffic to the town centre again.

In addition, the project will include the upgrading of the appearance of the Duke Street car park and the diversion of a main public sewer.

Running concurrently, will be the upgrading of the Regent Way shopping precinct. The £9 million refurbishment by South Lanarkshire Council and Standard Life Investment Ltd will turn the 1960s-style precinct into a fully enclosed modern shopping centre.

The 300,000 sq ft Regent Shopping Centre will incorporate 45 shops and cafes in addition to anchor tenants, Marks & Spencer, Bhs, Boots and Woolworths. The shopping area will be enclosed with a glazed roof and new lighting will be installed throughout the centre. Replacement flooring will give the centre a terrazzo feel and, towards the end of the project, a new Management Suite and public toilets will be built. Shops currently trading in Regent Way will remain open throughout the refurbishment programme.

Councillor Tom McCabe, leader of South Lanarkshire Council, said: "This latest Hamilton Ahead project will transform Hamilton town centre into one of the finest and most modern shopping and retail areas in Scotland.”

"In order for us to carry out the regeneration project, we must ask members of the public and local businesses to bear with us while the work is being carried out. We have done everything in our power to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum, but recognise that the works will cause some inconvenience to town centre users and the local business community. But, we are convinced it will be worth it for the beautiful new shopping centre and much-improved road system."

To keep disruption to a minimum, the Council's South Lanarkshire Development Partnerships and its Roads & Transportation Service have been modelling the road works using hi-tech computer software, PARAMICS, to establish an effective traffic management strategy for the town centre.

This state-of-the-art programme will help the Council work out the best way of keeping traffic flowing through the town while continually monitoring its progress.

The Council, which has already completed construction of the Palace Grounds Road and the widening of Muir Street, will also be putting up alternative road signage to encourage drivers to avoid the project area if possible.

Shoppers needn't worry about parking. Despite the fact that the Miller Street car park will be permanently closed from the beginning of the project, drivers will still be able to use the 685 space Duke Street car park.

Regent Way will also remain open throughout the improvement works and access to the town centre will be maintained through close liaison with Strathclyde Police, Standard Life and the Town Centre Manager.

The key dates for the Town Centre Action Plan are as follows:

February 22, 1999
permanent closure of Miller Street Car Park

March 1, 1999
permanent closure of Townhead Street to through traffic
sewer diversion and Duke Street Car Park improvements start

May 10, 1999
roadworks start

July 5, 1999
sewer completed

July 16, 1999
Duke Street Car Park Improvement completed

November 27, 1999
Roadworks completed

Town centre users can also look forward to the opening of the new £11m retail park at the Palace Grounds. This is due to open for trading in July 1999 and retailers include Homebase, Comet, Scottish Power, Uno, Pets at Home, World of Leather, Pizza Hut and McDonalds.

The Hamilton Ahead Initiative has already been a huge success story. The project has brought hundreds of new jobs to the town as well as a £12m ASDA superstore, a £6m Esporta Tennis & Fitness Centre, an £8m redevelopment of the Council-owned sports and leisure facilities at the Palace Grounds, the creation of a £3.5m new town square and a £2.5m streetscape in Quarry Street.

By 2004, when the initiative draws to a close, the Council predicts that around 2,660 new jobs will have been created.

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