Glaswegians urged to plan ahead of bridge demolition this weekend

Network Rail will demolish the bridge over the railway at Shields Road during a period of continuous working over the Easter weekend.

Excavators will demolish the bridge deck from road level and clear the resultant debris from the track before attentions turn to preparing for construction of the new bridge deck.

For the safety of the public, the temporary footbridge over the railway will be closed during the demolition, from 06:00 on Saturday 30 March to 06:00 on Sunday 31 March with a diversionary route in place for pedestrians and cyclists.

The fastest route on roads will be via St Andrew’s Road, Maxwell Road, Eglinton Street, Kilbirnie Street, West Street, Scotland Street and vice versa, taking around 30 minutes to walk or five to 10 minutes to cycle.

Laura Craig, Network Rail’s project manager for the bridge work, said “Demolishing the bridge deck at Shields Road is a significant milestone for the project and with it removed, we can focus on building the new bridge which will better serve the community.

“Unfortunately, the footbridge cannot be used during part of the demolition weekend. We know this is inconvenient for those living and working in the area but is the only way that the work can be delivered safely and efficiently.

“We will be working continuously from Friday night until Monday morning to complete this vital piece of engineering work.”

Engineers will remove the overhead line equipment that powers electric trains before the demolition begins and will reconnect them in a new position when work is complete.

Materials that will be used in the construction of the new bridge deck will then be moved into position ahead of its installation later in the year.

The work at Shields Road is part of a £12.6m package of engineering works taking place across Scotland’s Railway over the Easter bank holiday weekend.