A new £17 million regional sports facility in Dundee could come a step closer next week if a tender for preparatory works gets the go-ahead.

Councillors will be asked to approve £850,000 of works by Tayside Contracts at and around Caird Park, the site of the new Regional Performance Centre for Sport.

The contract covers road and bridge improvements to Mains Loan; the replacement of the existing 10T weight restricted masonry arch bridge over the Gelly Burn and upgrading of 900m of Mains Loan between Kingsway and Claverhouse Road.

In addition the junction at Claverhouse Road, which will be the main point of access to the site will be widened to accommodate a dedicated right hand turn lane for traffic travelling from the west to the Regional Performance Centre for Sport and golf courses.

New street lighting will be installed at the edge of carriageway from the entrance at Claverhouse Road up to the entrance to the new centre and existing drainage will also be improved.

The council has identified £12m in its Capital Plan 2016-21 for the centre, and this funding will be combined with a grant of £5m from sportscotland for a £17m facility that will include:

Will Dawson, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “Making sure that these works are done in advance of the creation of the centre will ensure that it is easily accessible for contractors and users when it is completed.

“The eastern end of Caird Park is an ideal location for this impressive centre where it will integrate with the existing athletics stadium and velodrome.

“We have been working hard with our partners to provide a top-class facility that can be open for both performance and community use and will be an exciting addition to the city’s superb range of sporting facilities.

“I am keen that as many people as possible benefit from the centre.”

Expected to be completed by the end of next year the centre will be managed by Leisure and Culture Dundee.

The city development committee meets on January 25.