Work to repair and refurbish a railway bridge in South Lanarkshire is complete.

The Cambuslang Road in Rutherglen has now reopened following the programme to strengthen the structure over the A724.

The project was carried out as part of Network Rail's rolling programme of maintenance work to keep its network safe and reliable.

Engineers used approximately 50 tonnes of recycled glass to 'blast' the paint from the structure, 20 tonnes of new steel was used to repair and 1500 litres of paint were applied to waterproof and provide the aesthetic finish to the bridge.

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The strengthening work undertaken will last 60 years, the steel repairs 30 years and the paintwork 25 years. The road closure also enabled Scottish Water and South Lanarkshire Council to undertaken improvement works.

Billy McKay, Network Rail programme manager, said: "We knew that the A724 was an important access point to the M74 as well as a route for local traffic and so the importance of completing this work on programme wasn’t lost on us.

"However, closing the road was the most efficient and safest way to undertake the work required on the bridge and hopefully any short term inconvenience was worthwhile in the long run as the refurbished bridge will minimise future disruption for both road and rail users.

"Delivering this work in just 14 weeks was a logistical challenge but we planned the job carefully with our contractors Taziker Industrial and the project team deserve credit for getting the work delivered on time and on budget.

"We are grateful for the support of our colleagues at South Lanarkshire Council and the cooperation and patience of road users and the local community during this work."

(LM)