The operation to complete the second and final launch of the largest bridge on the M74 Completion project has now begun in Glasgow.

Earlier this year the westbound carriageway of the Port Eglinton Viaduct was launched across the West Coast Main Line, local rail lines and a number of roads.

Now, in an identical exercise, the eastbound carriageway will be pulled across Salkeld Street, the West Coast Main Line and local rail lines, Eglinton Street and Devon Street.

The Port Eglinton Viaduct is part of the work going on to complete the missing link between the end of the existing M74 at Fullarton Road and the M8 southwest of the Kingston Bridge and is the largest of 13 structures along the route of the new motorway.

The spans for this section of the viaduct are being launched into place rather than being placed by conventional crane lifts due to their length. The launch will be undertaken in a nightly two hour window when trains are not running, avoiding disruption to train services.

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Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson, said: “This is a significant milestone in the M74 Completion project. The work to complete the missing link between the existing M74 and the M8 is moving on apace and the structures to support the new road are now visible across Glasgow.

“The M74 project, one of the largest on the ground in Scotland at present, is already providing vital jobs and investment to the hard pressed construction industry.

“Marrying these benefits to the new transport links the M74 Completion will bring, when it is completed next year, and the enormous potential for further urban regeneration programmes in the area, many of which are already on the ground, underlines the importance of Scottish Government investment in our transport infrastructure."

Interlink M74 Joint Venture Project Director David Welsh said: “We are delighted to be achieving these key objectives on programme. Many obstacles have to be overcome in the preparatory phases to turn design into construction and again I must congratulate the whole design and construct team, plus client, funders and third parties for working so well together to overcome the major challenges we have encountered to get to this advanced stage in the project."

(GK)