A £2m project to reconstruct the Crosshill Street railway bridge in Motherwell has been completed, according to North Lanarkshire Council.

As a result, the traffic restrictions that were in place in the area, can also be removed.

The initiative was funded by Network Rail and the local authority.

The repair work commenced in February with the construction of a temporary pedestrian footbridge, and the diversion of major underground services. Following demolition of the steel superstructure, a new precast concrete beam deck was constructed and the remaining bridgeworks were completed ahead of schedule in August by the contractor, Morgan Sindall.

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The single span steel truss bridge, built in 1898 as a replacement for a smaller original bridge, was structurally assessed by the Council's engineers in 2003 and as a result, temporary steel barriers were installed to protect the footways from vehicle loading.

In 2007, following the collapse of a truss girder bridge in Minnesota, USA, another inspection was carried out on the structure, and while it was deemed to be safe, the decision was made to impose a weight restriction on the bridge as a precautionary measure and to joint fund reconstruction of a new bridge deck.

The work included retaining and modifying the original masonry abutments to support the new deck, as well as upgrading the parapets to current vehicle containment standards for road-over-rail bridges.

Councillor James Coyle, Convener of the Planning and Transportation Committee, said: "Crosshill Street railway bridge is strategically important, as it serves the haulage requirements of heavy industry and commercial, retail and public interests within Motherwell.

"This long awaited reconstruction has removed the traffic restrictions on the bridge, and provides a new superstructure with a lifespan of at least 120 years."

(JP/CD)