Finally...the Drumgrew Bridge reopens

A section of the B8048, which runs between Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch, had been closed since August 2015 to enable the completion of the bridge over the railway - leading to long diversions for drivers.

It was originally going to reopen a month earlier but poor weather conditions meant that the work took longer than expected.

The work at Drumgrew Road is part of a series of projects across central Scotland to create extra height beneath bridges to allow overhead power cables to be installed as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).

EGIP is delivering a rolling programme of electrification across the central belt – reducing journey times and increasing capacity on routes by improving the infrastructure to enable faster, greener trains to run.

The opening of the bridge marks the completion of 59 of 61 structures as part of the EGIP clearance works.

As well as significant utilities diversions and reinstatement works the project involved demolition of the existing masonry arch structure over a single weekend in October, strengthening the bridge abutments and reconstructing the deck and parapets before reconnecting the new bridge to the road network.

Rodger Querns, Network Rail programme director for EGIP, said: “Faced with the constraints of the Victorian rail infrastructure, reconstruction of the bridge at Drumgrew Road was a considerable undertaking, not least because much of the work had to be done at night to maintain train services during the day.

“The electrification of central Scotland’s railway is a genuinely transformational investment in our infrastructure and key to unlocking additional capacity, reducing congestion and ensuring that longer trains provide more seats for passengers. It will lead to faster journeys on quieter, cleaner, greener trains.

“I would like to thank the local community and those who use the road network for their cooperation and patience as we delivered this important investment in Scotland’s railway.”