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Monday 24 Feb 2020

Elected members visit Greenock bridge works

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Engineers will shortly complete work on the £1million refurbishment of the railway bridge at Dellingburn Street in Greenock as part of a wider programme of maintenance on structures.

Ahead of completion and the removal of the scaffolding in place to enable the work, Ronnie Cowan MP and Stuart McMillan MSP visited the structure to see first-hand the work that has been delivered on the bridge.

As well as improving the aesthetic appearance, the work is designed to extend the lifespan of the bridge and keep the rail network safe and reliable and running efficiently.

Work on the bridge, near Morrisons in the town, included improving the drainage and clearing adjacent vegetation, strengthening girders, repairing masonry, blast cleaning and repairing the metalwork, applying corrosion protection and painting.

Suzanne McKay, Network Rail project manager for the Dellingburn Street bridge refurbishment, said: “We are just about to complete work on what has been a great project to repair and refurbish this well-known structure.
“We take seriously our responsibility to maintain and preserve our bridges, not just for the safe and efficient operation of the railway, but also how they look in their setting for those travelling on the railway or on the road network below.

“The refurbishment that has been delivered on the bridge will ensure that it serves its purpose for decades to come as well as visually improving the area. We are sure that the work on this structure will be welcomed by the many people who have driven under it or travelled over it by rail.”

Ronnie Cowan, Member of Parliament (MP) for Inverclyde said: “We have been aware of these works and what they entail but it was good to have the opportunity to go inside the structure and see first-hand the work that has been done during the 20-week road closure.

“It is a challenging working environment for the teams on the bridge and I commend them for getting the job done, especially through the winter months.”

Stuart McMillan Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Inverclyde, said: “I warmly welcome this investment in the local transport network and the safety and reliability benefits it brings to both road and rail as well as the overall appearance of the area.

“While the disruption to the road network was inconvenient for the local community and road users, I am grateful to Network Rail and their contractor Story, for getting the job done and the road re-opened as quickly as possible.