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With the new bridge in place, North Lanarkshire Council can now progress with the construction of a new dual carriageway with pedestrian and cycle paths.
By Jenness Mitchell, Scotland reporter @Jenster13
One of the largest concrete bridge lifts in European history has been completed in North Lanarkshire.
The 5,000-tonne railway crossing was moved into position earlier this month on the West Coast Main Line (WCML) at Ravenscraig.
Network Rail and Story Contracting teams have worked to excavate tens of thousands of tonnes of material from the railway embankment.
The crossing and support structure, totalling around 6,000 tonnes, was then driven into position using remote-controlled transporters in what is believed to be the biggest concrete bridge move of its kind in Europe.
The track and overhead line equipment was then reinstated ahead of the railway’s reopening.
Councillor Paul Kelly, depute leader of North Lanarkshire Council, said: “Our ambitious plans for Ravenscraig, one of Europe’s largest brownfield regeneration sites, will transform the area and bring significant investment and jobs to the North Lanarkshire economy.”
The installation is part of a £16.9m project to allow for the construction of a new road underneath the railway line.
The project – part of the ongoing regeneration of the former steelworks site – is being delivered through an agreement between the council and Network Rail.
The local authority is now set to progress with the construction of a new dual carriageway with pedestrian and cycle paths from Airbles Road/Windmillhill Street to Robberhall Road, as part of a wider investment to open the area for future development.
A contractor is expected to be appointed in the autumn, with construction scheduled to start on site in early 2024.
Councillor Kelly added: “The road is the catalyst for the development of housing, leisure and retail facilities, business and industry at this prime location at the heart of Scotland.”
The bridge and new road, to be built by North Lanarkshire Council, are the first parts of the £127.2m Ravenscraig Access Infrastructure (RAI) project, supported by £61.9m of funding from the Glasgow City Region Deal.
It is hoped the project will improve connections north to the M8 and south to Motherwell and the M74.
Ravenscraig Ltd received planning permission in 2019 for a masterplan including residential, business and employment districts, education and community facilities, a park, hotels, and a new town centre with retail and leisure spaces.
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Neil Gray MSP, secretary for wellbeing economy, fair work and energy, welcomed the “landmark moment” of the completion of the bridge.
Jeremy Spence, Network Rail programme manager, added: “Reaching this critical phase in the programme took many months of meticulous planning and preparatory work, followed by a huge undertaking in constructing the actual bridge.
“By working collaboratively with Story Contracting and North Lanarkshire Council, we have all played our part to ensure the necessary pieces were in place to allow the seamless delivery of the works, especially over the nine-day period of continuous working to lift the bridge into place.
“It is a credit to everyone involved that they invested in the bigger picture from the outset – as we all understood the significance the bridge will bring to the wider community in helping to create more opportunities across the area.”
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