Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, visited Kerse Road today (Monday, 30 April) to view progress on bridge demolition works, following two consecutive weekends of continuous working by Network Rail engineers to remove the structure.
The road bridge over the railway is being replaced as part of a wider programme of work on the Stirling line ahead of the electrification of the route as part of a Scottish Government-funded investment being delivered by Network Rail.
Over the course of the two demolition weekends, 100 members of staff and contractors clocked up more than 2,000 man hours to remove 10,000 tonnes of material from site. This included two 26 tonne girders which were lifted out from the old bridge using a 500tn cane.
With the demolition works successfully completed, the programme of activity is set to further intensify over the coming weeks, as attention now focuses on starting construction of the new bridge.
Once complete, the new structure will provide an increase in the width of the carriageway, creating the possibility for Stirling Council to add a third lane to meet the city’s future traffic needs.
Bruce Crawford MSP said:
“With the bridge now removed, this is an opportunity to see first-hand the challenges of undertaking a project of this scale within the centre of Stirling. It is impressive the level of progress that has been achieved so far.
“This work represents an enhancement for both the road and rail networks and future-proofs the structure in anticipation of future growth within Stirling. It also enables the electrification of the line which will transform central Scotland’s railway.
“Obviously, the scale of the works and the closure of the road presents new challenges to local businesses and road users – particularly those getting in and out of the city at peak times. I have been in conversation with officers from Stirling Council and will continue to do so throughout this process to assess how specific concerns that arise can be addressed.”
Iain McFarlane, Network Rail’s Route Delivery Director for the Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa (SDA) electrification project, said:
“We appreciate that heavy engineering works can be inconvenient for the local community, and we have made every effort to minimise this where possible.
“The new structure that we are now building offers the potential for the council to add a third lane in the future to meet Stirling’s growing traffic needs and enhance the local road network in line with the city’s transport strategy. It also avoids the need for the council to undertake significant maintenance on the bridge in the next few years with the new structure having a lifespan in excess of 100 years and so this work has many benefits for the local community.
“I would like to thank the people of Stirling and surrounding areas for their continued patience and cooperation as work progresses.”
Electrification of central Scotland’s rail network will reduce journey times from Stirling to Glasgow and Edinburgh, increase capacity on peak services and provide longer, faster greener trains.
