SCOTLAND’S largest placemaking project has marked another milestone with work underway to install five concrete beams – each weighing more than 100 tonnes – for the new dual-lane Winchburgh Rail Overbridge in West Lothian.
One of the UK’s largest crawler cranes, capable of lifting 660 tonnes, was transported to West Lothian by contractor I & H Brown for the project. The installation of three of the beams over the main Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line, each spanning 36.5 metres and sitting 6.5 metres above the rail line, was completed during the early hours of Monday 3 July, with the rest set to be installed this weekend.
Larry Higton, project manager for I & H Brown Ltd, explained, “After many months of planning, it was great to see the first bridge beam lifted into position for our Overbridge Project. This complex operation was undertaken during the early hours of Saturday and Sunday. A special thanks to the project team who worked tirelessly to provide minimal disruption to the community.”
Construction of the bridge marks a step forward in Winchburgh Development Limited’s infrastructure-led masterplan for the village and its commitment to create a high-capacity road to link traffic from both directions of the M9 to the new town centre via Junction 1B, reducing congestion on local roads and providing ‘easy access’ to cities for commuters. Once complete, the bridge will also feature footpaths on both sides.
Beams were installed last week by contractor RJ Mcleod on another new road bridge, just 300 metres from the railway line, spanning the Union Canal. The Winchburgh Canal Bridge will provide the local community with improved access to the new town centre. The bridge will sit adjacent to the canal’s new marina in the heart of the village.
John Hamilton, CEO of Winchburgh Developments Limited, added, “It has been incredible to see not one, but two, of our key infrastructure projects go forward in the space of just a week. Winchburgh is one of Scotland’s biggest placemaking communities, and the fact that we’re seeing such progress is a testament to the commitment of the bridge contractors and designers.
“Both projects require exceptional engineering and planning expertise, and we’re grateful for the support and co-operation we’ve had from both Network Rail and Scottish Canals. Now that the main beams are in place, we look forward to completing both the Rail Overbridge and the Canal Bridge by the end of this year so that the local community can reap the benefits of the village’s improved transport infrastructure.”
Duncan Brown, director for I & H Brown Ltd, said, “Installing the beams for the Rail Overbridge marks a significant construction milestone, and will allow us to push on with the remainder of the project. It’s not every day you get to build a bridge over the main railway line between Glasgow and Edinburgh. It’s been a fantastic project for I & H Brown to be involved with alongside our specialist partner Story, and continues our involvement in delivering the Winchburgh Masterplan.”
Jamie Corser, business development manager for RJ Mcleod, commented, “It’s great to see the development at Winchburgh taking shape. We recently completed the M9 Junction and are well advanced with the Winchburgh Canal Bridge, with half of the 19m-long, 29-tonne beams now in place.”
