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Thursday 23 Jan 2020

Old Kilpatrick road closure is vital step towards rail bridge refurbishment

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Work is now underway to install a temporary bridge over the railway on the A814 Dumbarton Road in Old Kilpatrick.

The condition of the existing structure is deteriorating and it is no longer fit for purpose for the weight and volume of traffic which crosses the bridge on a daily basis.

A temporary ‘bailey bridge’ solution is required to maintain the flow of traffic on this busy section of road without the need to introduce weight restrictions. It will be in place until a full demolition and reconstruction of the existing structure can be scheduled.

The new structure will sit over the existing one on two new concrete foundations set back from the current bridge. Ramps will also be constructed at either side and some improvements to the road alignment will also be made to allow better site lines and pedestrian access will also be maintained.

The temporary bridge represents an investment of circa £1m to maintain this important road link and Network Rail has worked closely with West Dunbartonshire council to enable the work to be delivered safely and efficiently.

Work of this scale cannot be delivered without closing the road and the ‘bailey bridge‘ will be installed during 10 days of continuous 24 hour working from Thursday 6th February.

Ahead of the full road closure - which will be in place from 10pm on Thursday 6th February until 6am on Monday 17th February, traffic management will be in place on the road (temporary traffic lights with single lane working) to prepare for the installation of the structure. Traffic management will also be in place following the road closure until completion of the project at the end of March.

Andy Sinclair, Network Rail programme manager for the bridge replacement work, said: “We know that Dumbarton Road is a busy road and an important route for local traffic and we do not take the decision to request its closure lightly.

“While it is unusual for us to install a temporary structure in these circumstances, the condition of the existing bridge meant that doing nothing was not an option as this would have led to weight and speed restrictions and potentially greater inconvenience for road users.

“We understand the impact that the work will have for both road users and those communities adjacent to the bridge works. However, this is the most efficient and safest way to undertake the work required to install the temporary bridge.

“We apologise for any inconvenience and are grateful for the patience of road users during this work.”

Network Rail requested the road closure from, and has worked with West Dunbartonshire Council and other stakeholders to plan the bridge installation and to put in place an appropriate ‘all vehicle’ diversion to enable the work to take place.

If you have any questions about this work you can contact Network Rail’s 24 hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41. For latest information and progress updates follow on twitter @NetworkRailScot