The Cadzow underpass beneath the M74 motorway in Hamilton has been transformed with a new mural celebrating Lanarkshire's history and the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Leading street artist TEF was commissioned by the Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP) to create the artwork on the walls of the pedestrian tunnel linking Hamilton Palace Grounds and Strathclyde Country Park.
Lanarkshire Landmarks and Sporting Scenes
One side of the underpass depicts the 10 sports of the July 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, showing athletes in action across cycling, hockey, boxing, basketball, and more. The other side features 10 Lanarkshire images in a film-strip style, including Hamilton Mausoleum, Bothwell Castle, the Netherton Cross, Ravenscraig towers, North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre, Monkland Canal, the iron-hulled Vulcan boat, miners at work, and historic trams from Airdrie and Coatbridge.
Artist's Three-Week Project
TEF painted the mural over three weeks, taking inspiration from the Glasgow 2026 website for the sports and researching local history for the Lanarkshire scenes. He said: "I was tasked with creating drawings for the 10 sports being showcased at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and 10 pieces of artwork that reflected the local history in Lanarkshire, incorporating it into an old 35mm movie reel to be displayed on one whole wall. It was a lot of hard work, with my creativity working overtime; I'd like to give a special mention to a good friend Kieran for his help and input on this project too. The feedback during that time from local people using the underpass was very rewarding, which kept our spirits and enthusiasm high, and saw us get this fantastic project over the line and completed on time."
Community and Infrastructure Enhancement
Graham Drummond of SRP said the organisation and Transport Scotland are "proud to have supported this vibrant community artwork project." He added: "Working with TEF, the mural has transformed the underpass into an attractive and engaging public space that celebrates both the excitement of Glasgow 2026 and the rich heritage of the Hamilton and Motherwell areas [with] scenes that reflect the history and character of the local community. Since its completion, the mural has received extremely positive feedback from pedestrians, cyclists and park users, who have welcomed the transformation of what was previously a plain pedestrian route into a colourful landmark. Projects like this demonstrate how public infrastructure can be enhanced to create a more enjoyable environment for local residents and visitors while fostering community pride and encouraging active travel."
