Firms bidding to build new River Clyde bridge

Progress on Renfrew - Yoker link

Author: Clyde NewsPublished 31st Jul 2019
Last updated 31st Jul 2019

Three international engineering teams are in the running to build the first opening road bridge over the River Clyde expected to be built between 2020 and 2022.

The crossing connecting Renfrew to Clydebank and Yoker will require hundreds of construction staff and forms the centre-piece of a major infrastructure project to transform the Clyde waterfront.

Following an initial selection stage earlier this year, Renfrewshire Council has now invited three bidders to participate in the detailed tendering stage of the procurement process.

The bids are from ARC, who worked on the construction of the Queensferry Crossing, a team from construction company Balfour Beatty and a bid from construction and civil engineering company GRAHAM, working with Hollandia and Ramboll.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “This project will transform the Clyde waterfront and connect communities on both sides of the river, improving access to jobs, education, hospitals and leisure pursuits.

"I am very pleased to see this project progressing well and it is no surprise that it has attracted such high calibre teams bidding to secure the design and construction contract.”

Jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the Glasgow City Region City Deal, the £90.7million Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project includes a 184 metre-long, twin-leaf cable-stayed swing bridge accommodating vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians and opening horizontally for passing ships.

Scottish Government Infrastructure Secretary Michael Matheson said: “I’m delighted to see the progress being made on the Glasgow City Region Deal as our partners look to drive inclusive economic growth, utilising the Scottish Government’s more than £500 million investment in the area.

“It’s particularly pleasing that this project will open up access to new opportunities around the River Clyde and help further spread the benefits of our investment made in other key infrastructure locally, such as the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the upcoming National Manufacturing Institute Scotland.”

Also included in the project is more than 2km of new and improved roads and shared cycle and pedestrian routes, including connections into the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland being developed next to Glasgow Airport.

It is anticipated the successful team will be appointed in early 2020 and construction is scheduled to start later that year and be completed in 2022.

Councillor Nicolson has said the project will bring jobs with more than 470 people involved in the initial construction with a further 2300 jobs expected to follow over the next decade.

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