Popular walking routes, The Three Lochs Way and The John Muir Way could soon be joined by a new route for tourists to tackle.
Although perhaps not as scenic as the others, the shorter “Three Gridlocks Way” will allow keen walkers to take in three different gridlocks in Helensburgh. Walkers tackling the route can start the walk from the same point as The John Muir Way, although the Henry Bell monument is an equally suitable location to begin.
Walking towards the Clyde Street & Sinclair Street junction, participants can behold the first queue of traffic, sometimes even from the bottom of Henry Bell Street as the current temporary lights at the town centre junction back traffic up hundreds of yards.
Heading up Sinclair Street, all it takes is a couple of cars making right turns and an awkwardly parked delivery van to ensure the second gridlock of the walk at the Princes Street junction. From there, the terrain begins to gently incline and it’s only a short distance to the next potential for sighting a grldlock at the King Street junction.
Even if, by some miracle, that particular hot spot isn’t backed up, there’s still a final chance to encounter a jam at the offset traffic lights where West Montrose Street meets Sinclair Street. All it takes is a minor accident on the A82 and queues of traffic several hundred yards long can be enjoyed at that location.
Although the duration of the walk is estimated at under 20 minutes on Google Maps, walkers could take the opportunity to while away another two hours waiting for their order to be served at the Park Pavilion Cafe in Hermitage Park.
A Helensburgh Community Council spokesperson indicated that the plans for The Three Gridlocks Way are still in the early stages but it was likely that signposting could be added along the route to inform those taking on the challenge.
