New bridge opens over railway line between Glasgow and Edinburgh

Cranes at the new bridge (Image: Tailor Made)

A new bridge over the Glasgow to Edinburgh railway line has been opened, with cranes used to expand the iconic Anfield Stadium shipped in for its construction.

The new dual-lane Winchburgh Rail Overbridge in West Lothian will create a high-capacity road to link traffic from both directions of the M9 to the new town centre via Junction 1B, reducing congestion on local roads and providing easy access to cities for commuters.

When completed the bridge will also feature pedestrian footpaths on either side.

One of the UK’s largest crawler cranes, which is capable of lifting 660 tonnes and was recently used for the expansion of Anfield Stadium, home of Liverpool FC, was transported to West Lothian by contractor I & H Brown for the project.

HeraldScotland:

The installation of three of the beams over the main Edinburgh to Glasgow railway line, each spanning 36.5 metres and sitting 6.5 metres above the rail line, was completed on Monday.

The rest will be installed by July 10.

John Hamilton, CEO of Winchburgh Developments Limited, said: “It has been incredible to see not one, but two, of our key infrastructure projects go forward in the space of just a week.

“Winchburgh is one of Scotland’s biggest placemaking communities, and the fact that we’re seeing such progress is a testament to the commitment of the bridge contractors anddesigners.