Work to refurbish the rail bridge over Merrylee Road on the Southside of Glasgow is now underway and on track to complete by the end of the year.
The refurbishment of the bridge is part of a wider, rolling programme of maintenance work on structures which is designed to extend their lifespan and keep the network safe and reliable. It represents an investment of around £750,000 to protect and prolong the life of the bridge.
To deliver this work safely and efficiently, one lane of Merrylee Road needs to close to enable Network Rail engineers to erect scaffolding and deliver work on the structure. At the half-way point, the opposite lane will be closed. Traffic lights will be in place throughout to control vehicle movements and pedestrian and cycle access will be maintained throughout the lane closures.
Work on the bridge, in the Cathcart area of the city, includes strengthening girders, repairing masonry, cleaning and repairing the metalwork, applying corrosion protection and painting. Part of the work involves ‘rivet-busting’ to remove old rivets, which is a particularly noisy activity and local residents have been advised.
Allison Flanagan, Network Rail programme manager, said: “We know that Merrylee Road is busy and an important route for local traffic. However, single lane closure means the road can stay open while we carry out the work safely and efficiently.
“Delivering this type of project in a constrained location is a logistical challenge but we have planned the job carefully with our contractors and will complete it with the minimum possible inconvenience to the local community.
“While we appreciate that working in local communities at night is not ideal, we will do everything we can to minimise the noise and complete this project as quickly as possible.
“We apologise to anyone living near the bridge who has been affected by this work and we thank you for your patience.”
Photo credit: Network Rail
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