Pictured: Councillor Paul Garner with James McLean, Road & Bridge Design Engineer on the B805
Falkirk Council has invested £1.3m in the past year to repair, strengthen and maintain a number of bridges across the area.
Around thirty projects were undertaken with some of the biggest including the A801 bridge near Maddiston, the bridge extension on the B803 near Seafield, and the B805 near the Tesco at Redding.
The major investment across Falkirk involved structural refurbishments, improved safety barriers, extensions, as well as assessments and urgent extensive repair schemes.
At the A801 near Maddiston £180k was spent to line an existing end of life Armco culvert with a new GRP liner which will extend the lifespan of the structure and ensure structural integrity.
At the B803 Seafield bridge £116k was invested to widen the carriageway over the Glen Burn and reduce the risk of accidents in what was a hotspot for collisions.
On the busy B805 near the Tesco Redding store £75k was invested to improve the existing concrete retaining wall and increase its lifespan.
Councillor Paul Garner, spokesperson for Economic Development said: “I’m sure residents will be pleased to hear about this significant investment in the bridge network in the Falkirk Council area.
“This activity keeps the road network moving, prevents flooding and reduces the risk of accidents which are all really important to local communities.
“Sometimes residents aren’t clear who is responsible for the roads and who is doing the works so it is important to highlight that Falkirk Council is taking this work forward to improve the lives of local people who live here.”
The Council is responsible for inspecting and maintaining 283 bridges and 177 retaining walls across the area.
Regular assessments are carried out on Council bridges to identify areas where investment is most required to ensure our infrastructure meets national safety standards.
The plan for 2023/24 will see a further £715k investment over the year and includes a bridge replacement at Muiravonside Cemetery, a footbridge replacement in Avonbridge and complete refurbishments of two footbridges in Bonnybridge.