Philpstoun & Park Farm bridges re-opened
Roads at both Park Farm Road and Old Philpstoun (off Wynford Brae) in West Lothian have re-opened today following a five month closure to demolish and reconstruct bridges over the railway.
In the case of Park Farm, this was some 6 weeks earlier than planned as we re-phased the work at both structures so we could re-open at the same time and reduce the overall impact of the road closures in this rural community.
The roads have been closed since November 2015 to enable work on the structures as part of a series of projects across central Scotland to create extra height beneath bridges to allow overhead power cables to be installed as part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).
As well as significant utilities diversions and reinstatement at both the beginning and of the project, work involved demolition of the existing masonry arch structures over the Christmas period, strengthening the abutments, reconstruction of the decks and parapets before reconnecting the new bridges to the road network.
The opening of the bridges marks the completion of the 57th and 58th of 61 structures required to be ‘height cleared’ as part of EGIP and represents another significant milestone towards clearing the line for electrification.
A Scottish Government funded investment worth £742m, EGIP is delivering a rolling programme of electrification across the central belt – reducing journey times and increasing capacity on routes by improving the infrastructure to enable faster, greener and more energy efficient trains.
Rodger Querns, Programme Director for EGIP said, “The completion of work and reopening of Philpstoun and Park Farm bridges is another significant step towards delivering the height clearance required to safely run the overhead line electrification (OHLE) cables that will power the new electric trains that will run between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
“Although the intention was to have Philpstoun bridge re-opened by the end of March and Park Farm bridge by the end of May, getting both bridges completed and the roads re-opened by the 15th April is a better solution overall which reduces the inconvenience for the local community.
“The reconstruction of the bridges on the Edinburgh - Glasgow line is a considerable undertaking, not least because much of the work has to be done at night to maintain train services during the day. We apologise for the disruption during this work for local communities and commuters – particularly as the demolition happened over the Christmas holiday period.
“I would like to thank West Lothian council for their cooperation during this work and also thank the public for their ongoing patience and support as we deliver this important strategic investment in our infrastructure.”
For further information and latest updates on the EGIP work follow @NetworkRailEGIP or search #EGIP