New Clyde Bridge was built between 1899 and 1905 as part of the Edwardian expansion of Glasgow Central. It links Scotland’s busiest station to the west coast mainline as well as routes across Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Ayrshire and Inverclyde.
The 200-metre long structure, also known as the Caledonian Railway Bridge, will take two years to refurbish and repair. Taziker will blast off old paint, inspect and repair the steel beneath, and then repaint the bridge in its existing colour scheme.
Each section of the bridge will be scaffolded and wrapped in special encapsulation material (to prevent contaminating the river below) before an engineering survey to identify those parts of the steel structure in need of repair. The old paint will then be grit-blasted off, metal repairs carried out and new paint applied.
The project is due for completion by December 2020.
Taziker Industrial has recently completed a £75m restoration of the Tay Bridge for Network Rail.
Matthew Spence, Network Rail’s route delivery director for Scotland, said: “The New Clyde Bridge is one of the hardest-working structures on our railway – carrying nearly 1,300 trains each day to and from the country’s busiest station. The work we are doing will ensure this landmark bridge can continue to play its vital role in keeping Scotland’s railway moving for decades to come.”
He added: “The Network Rail team with main contractor Taziker have vast experience in restoring some of the country’s most recognizable railway bridges including full refurbishments of both the Tay and Findhorn bridges over the last few years. Together we will bring all that experience to bear as we work as quickly and efficiently as possible to deliver this project.”
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