STORY Contracting has successfully completed a £2.7 million makeover of the Forth Viaduct in Stirling on behalf of Network Rail.
Work began in January when scaffolding was erected along a 20 metre span of the 10 metre high bridge. This allowed the structure to be encapsulated so critical steelwork repairs could take place – including the removal and replacement of 300 steel rivets.
Other elements included grit blasting to remove old paint and rust before completely repainting the metal work. More than 100 tonnes of grit was used as well as 3,000 litres of paint taking in excess of 6,000 hours to complete.
A new permanent walkway was also installed through the structure, which will provide access for Network Rail engineers to undertake general maintenance to the viaduct when required.
Allison Flanagan, scheme project manager at Network Rail, said, “This work is part of a wider, rolling programme of renewals and improvements that are essential in allowing Network Rail to run a safe and reliable railway for passengers and freight customers.
“The Forth Viaduct was one of our more challenging projects given it spans a river. However, we are well versed is tasks of this nature, delivering time and again improvements that help protect our vital assets for years to come, as we won’t need to re-paint the viaduct for at least another to two decades.
“I would like to thank the community for their patience during delivery of the work, which for safety reasons also meant having a road closure and traffic management in place throughout. We’re very appreciative of their understanding.”
