The finishing touches to a cycling and walking route in Inchinnan are due to be completed within a month.

A section of Greenock Road, from the roundabout at Inchinnan Drive to a new active travel bridge over the Black Cart river, has been under development.

Existing pavement has been widened to three metres and adapted for shared two-way use by pedestrians and cyclists, while the speed limit has been reduced from 50mph to 40mph and the main carriageway narrowed.

However, Councillor Sam Mullin has reiterated his concerns about the updated layout, claiming that he saw an ambulance delayed as it tried to get past a number of large vehicles on the route.

He said: “There was an ambulance trying to get through a couple of weeks ago. There was about two buses, I think, and a lorry. The ambulance did get through eventually but it was a carry on.

“I’m not against safety in any form or fashion but while we’re talking about safety for cyclists and pedestrians, we’ve got to think about safety of motorists as well, especially with emergency vehicles.

“With the closeness between a lorry and a bus, sometimes a bus has to come to a standstill to let a lorry by.

“That still happens to this day. That doesn’t make sense to me.”
Renfrewshire Council said, once the project has been completed, it will monitor the route to “check everything is working properly.”

A spokesperson added: “Once Scottish Power is finished on site, we expect to complete the final work by mid-November.

“At times during the project, lanes were closed to protect construction workers. These lane closures narrowed the road but were temporary safety measures.

“As with any major project, once it’s finished we will monitor how its operating to check everything is working properly.

“The shared pavement for pedestrians and cyclists and the road changes have been designed to promote road safety. They meet all the relevant national standards and specifications.”

The local authority also addressed complaints about hedge trimmings being left on the path.

The spokesperson added: “Hedge trimmings can end up on the cycleway and road when the neighbouring hedges are cut back at particular times of the year.

“We will ask our contractor to check the situation and clear up as necessary.”