Work on new road bridge over River Clyde takes step forward
WORK on a major new road bridge over the River Clyde has taken a step forward.
Renfrewshire Council has said construction of the first opening road bridge over the river has progressed as new dolphins have been installed into position on the river.
The dolphins are steel structures which are the latest part of the project to be completed.
They provide additional safety infrastructure required for boats moving along the river past the new bridge.
The council say the structures took five months to create and were cut, welded and assembled by the steel fabricating company Had Fab.
After that, using 100- tonne cranes, they were lifted onto a transporter at Westway in Renfrew onto a barge and were sailed down the White Cart, onto the Clyde and into their final positions with four dolphins installed to support vessels up to 160m in length.
The blasting and painting of the dolphins was commissioned by Had Fab to local Renfrewshire company Clyde Corrosion Control who are based at Westway, part of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland ( AMIDS).
The bridge work is part of the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project.
It aims to regenerate the Clyde waterfront with a new bridge from Renfrew to Yoker, as well as additional connecting roads, cycling and walking routes.
The project hopes to create better connectivity for communities, attract new jobs and developments to the riverside, and enhance the access for businesses and suppliers to Scotland’s home of manufacturing innovation AMIDS.
The local authority said the bridge is due to arrive in two separate sections in April and May.
After that, it will then be installed and commissioned on- site before opening later this year.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “It’s fantastic to see the new bridge take another step forward as these dolphins are installed to support ships to dock when required and it’s great to see a Renfrewshire business involved in this part of the project.”