Stirling Council have thanked residents, businesses, drivers and visitors affected by the lane closure for their patience during this first phase of repair work to the bridge. To extend the life of the bridge and carry out all the necessary work will take several years to complete and will be done in several phases to minimise disruption.
This first phase allowed public utility companies Scotland Gas Networks (SGN) and Scottish Water to carry out essential improvements to pipelines buried within the bridge’s structure. The programme of works has finished earlier than planned due to a co-ordinated approach by the Council and both utility companies.
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Stirling Council's Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Environment Service’s Roads and Transport Service Councillor Jim Thomson said: "We would like to thank everyone for their patience during this essential repair work to the bridge and I can reassure people that we will give warnings well in advance of future phased improvements.
"Our Roads Engineers, Scotland Gas Networks and Scottish Water worked extremely hard to keep disruption to a minimum and managed to finish the work ahead of schedule. As this was the first phase we will analyse what worked and what could be improved for future phases."
Future proposed work includes the refurbishment of the bridge parapets, improvements to the street lighting and footways over the bridge, waterproofing and re-surfacing.
This B-listed five-span masonry road bridge over the River Forth, was designed by Robert Stevenson and built in 1831 and has lasted well past its 100 years life expectancy, carrying far greater traffic volumes than it was designed for.
(GK/KMcA)
