First section of £79.5M River Clyde opening road bridge arrives from Netherlands

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The Renfrew Bridge is being constructed as part of the £117M Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project which will see the new bridge connect Renfrew with Yoker and Clydebank.

Graham was handed a £79.5M contract to construct the bridge in 2021 before Amey Consulting was signed to the highways design contract for the bridge later that year.

Renfrewshire Council is leading the project. The south section of the under construction 184m cable-stayed twin-leaf bridge has now arrived on the River Clyde after travelling for seven days on a barge across the English Channel and Irish Sea having been fabricated in the Netherlands.

It will be installed on the Renfrew side of the river at Meadowside Street by Graham. The north section of the bridge will arrive next month and will be fixed into place at Dock Street in Yoker.

In addition to the new bridge, the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project will create additional connecting roads, cycling and walking routes which will link Inchinnan Road in Renfrew with Yoker Railway Station, using the new Renfrew North Development Road.

It will also see improved access for businesses and suppliers to Scotland’s home of manufacturing innovation AMIDS, which is being developed by Renfrewshire Council in collaboration with the Scottish government.

The project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments through the £1.13bn Glasgow City Region City.

Renfrewshire Council is currently estimating the bridge will be completed ahead of schedule and be fully operational for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists by autumn 2024.

Visualisation of completed bridge

Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson said: “It’s fantastic to see the first section of the bridge arrive in Renfrew and the project take a significant step forward as this is going to be transformational for the local area, wider Renfrewshire and the city region.

“The opportunities that the new bridge, and its new connecting roads and active travel routes, will offer communities and businesses are exponential and the project as a whole will provide a substantial boost to the economy and attract more jobs to the area – in addition to more than 950 already created during the construction phase.

“With this project linking into the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) at Netherton next to Glasgow Airport, it is an exciting time for Renfrewshire and outlines the council’s continued ability to deliver nationally significant infrastructure projects successfully.”

UK government minister for Scotland John Lamont said: “The arrival of the first bridge section is a great moment for this flagship infrastructure project to regenerate the Clyde, improve connectivity and boost the economy.

“The UK government is proud to be investing £39M in the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside scheme, part of our £523M investment into the Glasgow City Region Deal, and more than £3bn for levelling up across Scotland.”

Graham contracts manager Jim Armour said: “The arrival of the first section of the bridge marks a significant milestone on the project and a fantastic achievement by the team.

“Over the next few weeks, the team will be working hard to prepare for the north section of the bridge to arrive, where it will be fixed into place on the Yoker side of the river.

“The new bridge is a vital piece of infrastructure that demonstrates civil engineering excellence and will drive economic growth on either side of the Clyde.”

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