Scottish Water has announced the successful completion of 'very challenging' sewer repair works in the centre of Glasgow.

High Street in the city centre had been closed between its junctions with Duke Street and Rottenrow since the beginning of January to enable essential repairs to the local waste water network to be carried out safely.

The duration of the road closure had to be extended in February, when the full scale and complexities of the work became clear.

Georgina Reid, Scottish Water's corporate affairs manager in the west, explained: "The extension of the road closure on High Street was unavoidable and the road was supposed to be closed until the end of June. We're really pleased that the road has reopened in time for a busy summer period, including the Cycling World Championships. There's absolutely no doubt the local community and road users will be too. Everyone has been very patient and understanding, for which we are very thankful.


"We would also like to thank our delivery partner George Leslie who have shown great resilience throughout, working tirelessly to get the job done for the good of our customers. They really have done a fantastic job in difficult circumstances."

Uncharted services, a 24-inch water main and tricky ground conditions all added to the complexities of the repair to the 200 year-old sewer.

In addition to the 20 metres of sewer pipe which was upgraded, three manholes were constructed and 22 metres of water main removed and replaced.

Blair Dixon was the senior project manager for Scottish Water working on this essential project. He said: "Given that the project was being delivered in one of the oldest street's in Glasgow, we fully expected there to be some issues for the team to overcome. The scale of the works kept growing and our delivery partner faced several challenges as the works unfolded. The team's resourcefulness and hard work has paid off and it's great that the project is now complete."

He added: "There were also some really interesting discoveries on this project; we uncovered some tram lines, we found an old hydraulic line which we believe could have helped operate the lifts in flats, and we uncovered lots of cobbles. The cobbles have been re-purposed and incorporated into Greyfriars Garden, a newly opened local community garden just near to where our works took place. It's nice to know that as well as a more resilient waste and water network, we've contributed towards a lasting legacy in High Street for people to enjoy."