Network Rail engineers will reach a significant milestone in Stirling this weekend (21 July), when the first beams of the new Kerse Road bridge structure are lifted into place using a 750tn crane.
The bridge over the railway is being replaced as part of a wider programme of work on the Stirling line ahead of the electrification of the route as part of a Scottish Government-funded investment being delivered by Network Rail.
Over the next week (21 to 28 July), engineers will work 1,800 hours in total, as two pre-cast concrete beams weighing between 30tn to 50tn apiece and 21m in length, will be lifted into position each night,
Iain McFarlane, Network Rail’s route delivery director for the Stirling Dunblane Alloa (SDA) project said: “Craning in the beams represent an important milestone as it’s the first steps to reinstating a bridge over the railway on Kerse Road. With the 14 beams in position, we will see the structure really taking shaping, as the new bridge emerges from the site.
“The beams going in is the latest in a series of critical steps towards reinstating the bridge; including the successful demolition of the old bridge in April, the installation of 88 piled foundations and construction of the new east and west abutments to support the new deck beams.
“I would like to take this opportunity to again thank residents and the wider Stirling community for their continued patience as we complete this important element of the bridge reconstruction.”
Once the new bridge at Kerse Road is complete, the structure will also offer the potential for the council to add a third lane in the future to meet Stirling’s growing traffic needs and enhance the local road network in line with the city’s transport strategy
Electrification of central Scotland’s rail network will reduce journey times from Stirling to Glasgow and Edinburgh, increase capacity on peak services and provide longer, faster greener trains.
