CONSTRUCTION on the first road bridge over the River Clyde that opens for passing ships took another step forward with the completion of an environmentally-friendly water channel.
The £79.5 million project to connect Clydebank and Yoker with Renfrewshire marked another milestone on its journey with the new open-air culvert, which replaces an old outfall moved to make way for the new bridge.
Most of the 170-metre channel is cut out of the ground and took eight months to complete, providing a more natural watercourse to flow from the Kilpatrick Hills into the Clyde.
It has been built by civil engineering specialists GRAHAM as part of the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project and contracts manager Jim Armour explained the venture is right on track.
He said: "Design and construction of the new culvert was a fantastic team effort and we worked closely with ecologists to ensure the completed channel supports sustainability and local wildlife.
“Moving the culvert allows us to prepare the area where the bridge will go on the north side of the river and over the coming months, we are continuing to build the cofferdams which gives us a dry working area to construct the bridge piers.
“The open-air culvert is just one example of our commitment to sustainability during construction."
The as-yet-unnamed bridge will provide direct road access between Renfrew and the boundary between Clydebank and Glasgow.
The project, first mooted in 2014, is being jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments as part of the £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region's 'city deal' initiative.
City deal officials claim communities on both sides of the Clyde are already benefiting, with on-site jobs and training opportunities during construction and a £3.5m supply chain boost to business.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “It’s great to see this project achieve an important construction milestone. The new transport connections will improve the look and feel along the waterfront, connecting communities to their work, health, education and leisure facilities and attracting new jobs and developments to the riverside.
“The new water channel is just one of a series of environmental enhancements resulting from these works alongside better town centre air quality and improved access to public paths and cycle routes, while protecting popular green spaces.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here