A photograph from the Corporation's Office of Public Works showing the re-laying of West George Street on 21 January 1926. The steeple of St George's Tron Church looms through the smog in the distance.
It appears that the work began with a layer of sand with a thick layer of concrete laid on top (foreground). This in turn was covered with another, thinner, layer of sand. Granite setts were bedded into the sand and then covered in asphalt to provide a smooth surface for vehicles (background). The road must have been closed for some time to allow the new surface to be laid and set.
The increase in traffic on Glasgow roads during the 1920s and 1930s resulted in greater wear and tear and an increase in road repair and upgrading work.
Reference: D-OPW 76/10/1
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Libraries Information and Learning
Keywords:
atmospheric pollution, civil engineering, civil engineers, horses and carts, labourers, navvies, Office of Public Works, road building, roads, roadworks, St George's Tron Church, streetscenes