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Tuesday 6 Feb 2018

Network Rail invests £4m to upgrade Baillieston railway bridge

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Muirhead Road in Baillieston will be closed for seven months from Monday February 12 to enable a multi-million pound investment to reconstruct the bridge over the railway.

The £4m investment by Network Rail will see the existing bridge demolished and rebuilt stronger and wider to enable two way traffic, cycle routes and pedestrian footpaths on both sides.

The bridge parapets (side walls) will also be raised to 1.8 metres to meet modern safety standards for an electrified railway.

The number of new properties to the south of the structure makes the current single lane bridge increasingly unsustainable and the bridge as it stands is no longer fit for purpose for the volume and weight of traffic which uses it on a daily basis.

Muirhead Road will close overnight Sunday into Monday February 12 and a sign-posted diversion will be in place for traffic displaced by the bridge work.

Demolition and initial reconstruction of the bridge will take place over three consecutive Sundays - March 10, 17 and 24.  Buses will replace trains on these days, but   pedestrian and cycle access will be maintained throughout the road closure over a temporary footbridge which has been installed adjacent to the road bridge.

When planning this type of work, Network Rail explores every possible option to minimise disruption to the local road network and on the local community.  The seven month full road closure represents the best possible way to reduce the duration of the closure and minimise the overall disruption to the community.

Billy McKay, Network Rail’s senior programme manager for the project,  said: “The reconstructed bridge will deliver a stronger and wider bridge which will enable two way traffic, cycle routes and pedestrian footpaths on both sides. It will accommodate current weights and volumes of traffic and anticipates future growth. 

“While we understand that the road closure is disruptive for local people in the short term, when the work is complete, the benefits of the enhanced bridge will be significant and enjoyed by the community for many years to come. We appreciate the patience of the local community while we carry out this important work.”

The work to reconstruct the bridge will be fully complete in October 2018.