CONSTRUCTION of the new pedestrian bridge development over the M8 at Sighthill will begin next month and is expected to cost £19 million.

Proposals to develop a "street in the sky" to replace the existing bridge which has been deemed "not fit for purpose" by Glasgow City Council have reached the next stage.

Members of the local authority's contracts and properties committee will meet on Thursday to discuss the development, where they are expected to award the contract to BAM Nuttall Ltd who will complete the work on the council's behalf.

A report submitted to councillors states that the new bridge will take 79 weeks to build and is expected to be completed by August 2021.

READ MORE: Council green lights new 'street in the sky' plaza over Glasgow M8

The new bridge forms part of the £250 million redevelopment plan in the Sighthill Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRA) project which aims to transform existing residential and public open space into a new and improved development.

Part of the strategy is to include a schools campus, community facilities, low level residential housing and amenity parkland.

It will involve the regeneration of 50 hectares of land, which includes large

engineering works to create these new developments.

The contract for design was previously awarded and drawn up by an external consultant in May 2016.

READ MORE: Sighthill's new £25m community campus revealed with dramatic introduction

Construction works will see the demolition of the existing North Wallace Street footbridge, completion of a new footbridge over the M8 motorway - including wing walls and ramps on both approaches.

Walls on the south approach will be retained while an existing high mast is demolished to make way for two news ones.

Around 23 contractors expressed an interest in the development opportunity of which 13 submitted an Electronic Single Procurement Document Scotland - the first stage of the selection process which declared BAM Nuttall Ltd the successful candidate based on price and quality.

Councillors will meet on Thursday to discuss the project further.