WORKERS and visitors face a mile-long hike because a walkway across a busy road is closing for a makeover.

SECC bosses are painting the floor of the walkway which links the popular music and conference venue with the Exhibition Centre railway station.

The £18,000 upgrade, which will see the distinctive red tunnel close for two weeks, comes after the SECC adopted the walkway from the city council.

The pedestrian and cycle tunnel crosses the Clydeside Expressway and is popular with staff who work along the riverside as well as cyclists and thousands of concert goers who flock to the SECC.

It will shut tomorrow until Monday, August 20, forcing people to take a lengthy detour. A spokeswoman said they had deliberately chosen a quiet time when there were no concerts or big events.

She said: "It's our quietest time. We have no concerts during that time and if we finish the work early then we will open the walkway before the 20th. There's no doubt the walkway is becoming busier. But the floor is badly in need of a paint and we're spending £18,000 on the job. We've written to local businesses to warn them what's happening."

Next to the SECC is the busy Crowne Plaza hotel which has 250 staff.

General manager Dominic McVey said: "Last year the hotel underwent a £6million refurbishment programme so we know there is little you can do when major work has to be done.

"But the SECC have been good neighbours. They have given us advance warning and we have taken steps to try to minimise any disruption to our clients.

"The trouble is a lot of my staff use the walkway to get to and from the station so it means they will face a long walk."

Workers face a hike of 1.2miles when walking to and from the station from the Crowne Plaza.

They will come out of the station and walk along West Greenhill Place then Finnieston Street before turning into Glenorchy Court, crossing two car parks and reaching the walkway exit close to the SECC and hotel.