Council finds solution to fix unsafe bridge

SOUTH Lanarkshire Council has come up with a solution to fix an unsafe bridge in an East Kilbride park.

The Horseshoe Bridge at Calderglen Country Park has deteriorated due to the river and the council has revealed plans to fix the bridge.

The council has been assessing the structural issues with the bridge and the path leading up to it over the past year and have come to the conclusion that a new bridge is needed to ensure public safety.

Sections of the path leading to the bridge have already been significantly eroded by the river. If it continues it could risk cutting access to the bridge and the south trail paths.

The main aim of fixing the issues with the bridge is to ensure visitors can continue to enjoy and appreciate the Horseshoe Falls and to protect public access to the trails.

The council commissioned an independent survey to assess the condition of both the bridge and the access path, and the survey indicated that the whole bridge would need to be replaced with the exception of the stone supporting abutments.

The path leading to the Horseshoe Bridge is high above the river and the supporting bank has been severely undercut and washed away by the river; some sections have even been fenced off for safety reasons.

Significant structural works are needed to prevent the bank and path from falling into the river.

The council decided to construct a new bridge and new connecting paths downstream from the Horseshoe Bridge.

The wooden Horseshoe Bridge structure will be dismantled in the interest of public safety but the historic stone abutments will remain in place.

The new bridge will improve access for all to the other side of the river and has also been designed to enable machinery to cross to the other side of the river.

The council hopes to have the work completed in late 2022, however, working in and around the river is weather dependent so timeframes will be flexible.