Bridge milestone reached on motorway project in Scotland

Rail bridge above the M8 has been completed.

Transport Scotland has announced a milestone in the £500M M8 M73 M74 motorway improvements project.

The milestone in question is the completion of the new rail bridge which is the culmination of meticulous planning and preparation over the past few months between Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP), and Ferrovial Lagan, the construction joint venture.

Weighing more than 2,000 tonnes, the completion of the final part of the rail bridge being slid into place has been captured by new time lapse footage released by Transport Scotland, with the three-minute clip showing construction of the bridge, and ends with the first passenger train crossing successfully as originally planned.

The rail bridge is positioned over what will be the new M8 motorway, joining the existing Cutty Sark rail bridge that is located in Bargeddie, Glasgow.

It will also carry the Rutherglend and Whifflet rail line over the new M8. This is currently being constructed south of the existing A8.

The M8 M73 M74 motorway improvements scheme will result in an upgrade of Scotland’s motorway network but simultaneously provide a huge boost to the economy because connections between Glasgow and Edinburgh will be improved, as well as the rest of the country.

A £500M investment in Scotland’s trunk road network, it is hoped that the results will mean better journey times for commuters, improved reliability of journey times as well as better road safety on Scotland’s motorway network.

Tackling congestion, the project is also providing employment opportunities in the area.

Graeme Reid is the Project Sponsor for Transport Scotland and he described the completion of the bridge as “significant.”

He said: “The success of the bridge slide marks a significant milestone as part of the M8 M73 M74 motorway improvements project and is the first tangible improvement to the transport infrastructure.

“The time lapse gives a real sense of the challenges involved in delivering a project of this scale and encourages a greater understanding of civil engineering schemes and the benefits they can bring.”

When completed, the scheme will alleviate congestion on the A8/M8, M73, M74 and at key junctions including Raith (M74) and Shawhead (A725/A8).

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