It came as a surprise, but then, out of the blue announcements are just that – a surprise.

On November 16, Scottish ministers announced that they were giving approval to plans for the bridge over the Clyde at Yoker.

This is a huge issue for the western side of Glasgow – and for Yoker in particular.

That’s not because it will be easier to get to the airport or to Braehead – although it will be – but because of the jobs that are going to be created in the new hi-tech industrial areas around the airport itself.

These ‘innovation parks’ are a key part of the wider City Deal that will see hundreds of millions of pounds being invested in the wider Glasgow area and they are the jewel in the crown for Renfrewshire Council.

The new bridge is literally a bridge to jobs. Travelling to and from work across the river is going to be a lot quicker and easier, by both car and public transport, and that’s going to make those jobs easier to get to and more attractive for workers, particularly young workers, in Yoker and the wider area.

There’s still a long way to go, and there remain issues to be dealt with. In particular, all three of the local authorities in the area still need to really commit to the bridge. That means Glasgow, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

This project hasn’t been plain sailing to date, and I know that West Dunbartonshire have had concerns about the impact that easier access to Braehead could have on shops in the Clydebank area, but I hope that these fears can be seen in perspective.

The jobs that are likely to come around the airport will almost certainly be high quality ones, and it can only be for the better that this side of the river is not disadvantaged in accessing them.

It might also mean that this side of the river could see the development of business and housing here as well as there.

So, let’s get the bridge built.