Great Britain
This article was added by the user . TheWorldNews is not responsible for the content of the platform.

Industry recognition for work to raise Lanarkshire rail bridge that had 'more hits than The Beatles'

A project to raise the height of a railway bridge said to have had “more hits than The Beatles” has been recognised with a prestigious industry award.

Bellside Bridge in North Lanarkshire was the scene of so many accidents it was said to have more hits than the Fab Four.

The old bridge was hit by vehicles, mainly lorries, more times than any other in Scotland, and was the seventh most struck in the UK.

In the 10 years prior to the vital work being carried out, there were 56 strike incidents at the bridge.

The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.

The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.

Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android

The bridge carries the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley trains via Shotts line over Carlisle Road.

The incidents led to urgent repairs having to be carried out and train and road travel disruption. There was often disruption to traffic through the village of Cleland.

The low bridge was removed last October and replaced with a new one with a clearance of over 5.2 metres and the project scooped the Infrastructure Award for Rail at this year’s Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Scotland awards.

The bridge was replaced after years of campaigning

The project by North Lanarkshire Council and Network Rail to raise the height of the rail bridge over the A73 was years in the making and was part of a campaign from local Labour councillor Louise Roarty.

Councillor Roarty said: “I was back and forth in conversations with Network Rail for a number of years who had frequently told me that there was nothing that could be done to raise the bridge’s height.

“I was so delighted that after years of hard work we were able to get the bridge raised. This has made such a huge difference to my constituents in Cleland.”

The bridge pictured before the engineering work

In August last year, Network Rail, Story Contracting and designer AECOM embarked on an eight week programme to replace the bridge with a thinner one, which allowed increased headroom for larger vehicles.

Fellow Labour Councillor Helen Loughran, Convener of the Environment and Climate Change Committee at North Lanarkshire Council, added: “Raising the height of the deck at Bellside Bridge was a complex project for the council and Network Rail, which has delivered significant road safety improvements for residents and businesses in Cleland and beyond.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in this partnership project.”

Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.

And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and share.