During the last three months, Network Rail has renovated a railway bridge in the Yorkhill area of the West End of Glasgow, the first of three 120-year-old bridges to be renovated in a continuing operation.
Renovations to the bridge over Ferry Road is the first part of a £2.5m investment to improve the bridges, which includes cleaning, repairing, and repainting them.
The bridges are part of the busiest section of railway line in Scotland, carrying about 28 trains per hour at peak times.
The structures near Partick station are used by trains on the Argyle and North Clyde Lines, and are visible from the nearby Clydeside Expressway.
Repairing and repainting these bridges will extend their lifespan
Amanda Naughton, Network Rail's project manager for the viaduct work
To allow Ferry Road bridge to be examined in detail, it was grit-blasted to remove old paint from the steel structure to determine what repairs were needed on the metal and stonework.
After carrying out the necessary repairs, the whole structure was repainted.
Similar will now take place on two adjoining bridges – Yorkhill and Kelvin viaducts.
Whilst the work is in progress, the site will be securely fenced off, but National Cycle Route 75 and the walking route to the Riverside Museum will remain open..
The renovations are part of an ongoing programme to protect, improve and modernise structures across Scotland's rail network.
To save costs, the Ferry Road bridge and the two viaducts are being refurbished together, with the total cost for each structure being approximately:
- Ferry Road bridge: £445,000
- Yorkhill viaduct: £709,000
- Kelvin viaduct: £1,300,000
We're really pleased to have completed the work on the Ferry Road bridge. Importantly, this was finished on time and our contractors can now move to the next stage of the refurbishment.
Repairing and repainting these bridges will extend their lifespan and help us to continue to run a safe and reliable railway over one of the busiest and most visible sections of track in Scotland.
We appreciate the patience and understanding from those living nearby while we carry out this important work.
Amanda Naughton, Network Rail's project manager for the viaduct work
It is expected that railway viaducts of this age will require rebuilding, just as the motorway will when it gets to the same age.
The difference being that the taxpayers will rebuild the motorways, but the railways mainly have fund the work out of revenue with the government a reluctant participant.