THE new Thornliebank Road bridge has been opened seven weeks ahead of schedule following the completion of a £5.5 million project.
Network Rail and Story Contracting started work in April 2024 as part of the wider £140 million East Kilbride enhancement project, which will see the electrification of the line between the town and Glasgow.
The old bridge needed to be demolished and replaced in order to allow for room to run the new overhead electric power lines under the new crossing. Over 50,000 hours were worked over the last 12 months and 1,500 tonnes of concrete was used for the new bridge structure – including 165 tonnes of steel reinforcement.
Ahead of the old bridge being demolished last September, the first five months on site involved moving 22 separate utilities including gas, water, electricity and telecoms, from the structure and then installing services back into the new bridge in recent months.
Paul Reilly, Network Rail’s senior programme manager for the bridge works, said, “To be opening Thornliebank Road bridge today is a milestone moment for the electrification project, especially as we have been able to do so seven weeks early. It’s a fantastic achievement by the team and our contractor Story, who really pushed the programme forward to make critical gains where possible.
“This investment in electrifying the East Kilbride to Glasgow railway will mean we can run cleaner, greener electric trains that deliver significant environmental improvements for passengers and those living next to the railway.
“We understand that closing a road bridge temporarily is never ideal, however, this work couldn’t be completed otherwise. I want to thank the community, particularly our nearest neighbours, for the patience shown throughout delivery of the work.”
Alan Rundell, head of operations at Story Contracting, added, “It was fantastic to see so many people in attendance today at the opening of the new bridge. It is a great testament to the collaborative working between Network Rail, Story, our supply chain partners, and the local community, which sees this bridge being opened to traffic almost two months ahead of schedule.
“It was a particularly challenging project due to the location and limitations on space as well as numerous unidentified services within the structure which threw challenges to the team, which they took in their stride and overcame. A great achievement for all parties involved and a thank you to the local community for their support during the works.”
