Bridge boost
Kerse project to have extra lane
Plans for a new bridge in Stirling city centre have been revised.
Network Rail submitted proposals for replacing the Kerse Road Bridge in January.
They have now amended their plans for the replacement with the bridge being widened to allow an extra lane of traffic to be installed. Stirling Council will now consider a plan for a bridge which is 1.8 metres wider than the existing structure.
Construction of the bridge is scheduled to take 12 months, with more than 1100 people having signed a Stirling Observer petition calling for the closure period to be reduced.
Councillor Gerry McLaughlin, who has backed the petition, welcomed the revised proposals.
He said: “I am delighted that Network Rail has started to acknowledge that their work here in Stirling should actually be designed for Stirling’s needs, rather than their usual standard approach to these projects.
“At least now what is being offered is an improvement on the existing bridge. It was a nonsense to go through all the planned disruption to replace the existing bridge with an identical one and expect the council to pay £1m towards the cost.
“From an engineering viewpoint the new design will not add one day to the disruption caused by its construction, but now there will be a material benefit to Stirling once the bridge is complete.
“This change in attitude of Network Rail is welcomed but it is without doubt due to local campaigning which has given council officials a much stronger hand in negotiations.”
Braehead Community Council has objected to the plans due to road safety issues which they say will be created by the closure, and chairman Chris Kane said the revised plans would not reassure the community’s concerns.
He said: “It is encouraging to see that Network Rail are open to working with Stirling’s communities to revise their plans. But no matter how welcome a wider bridge will be in the long term, it does not address our key point that a year long closure of Kerse Road is, frankly, ridiculous.
“We have seen absolutely nothing of the transport plan to deal with 22,000 vehicles each day that was supposed to be submitted with the planning application. Network Rail must act on our very real concerns that this prolonged closure is too much to bear for communities and local businesses.”
Network Rail have said replacing the bridge is a necessary part of their electrification plans, as the rail tracks cannot be lowered for safety reasons.
They say they will carry out the works as quickly as possible – with a 12-month programme of works due to start in May.
A planning application for a new bridge is set to be discussed by Stirling Council next month.
To sign our petition visit bit.ly/ KersePetition or see our Facebook and Twitter pages.
You can also sign it at our offices in 34 Upper Craigs, Stirling.