Eric Wright Engineering has been awarded a contract to replace the bridge that has been closed for four years. After a routine inspection found structural defects the Clyde Bridge on Pettinain Road in Carstairs was closed in 2018.
South Lanarkshire Council has agreed a deal with Eric Wright Civil Engineering for £7.4m which is nearly double the original estimate.
The project will involve the construction of a 90-metre single span steel bridge to replace the existing reinforced concrete bridge structure. The new structure will include a 4.2 metre wide carriageway together with an additional footway. New approach roads to the north and south will tie into the existing Pettinain Road as the new bridge will follow a new alignment.
The new bridge will also be supported on reinforced concrete abutments with piled foundations. The structure will also have wing walls that will not be connected to the abutment and will act as retaining walls.
Although it added to delays to the start of the project new land needed to build the new bridge has been acquired and work can begin to build the new bridge. Work is expected to start in early 2023 with completion planned a year later.