Dumfries & Galloway Council
Bridges
The Engineering Design team have been involved in a number of bridge projects. Services provided and work carried out includes the design, construction, repair and inspection of bridges.
You can find out more about some of the major projects where Engineering Design services have been used. Select a project from the list to get further details on the work carried out and the services provided by the team.
- Bridge Inspections for Dumfries and Galloway Council
- Bridge Inspections for the Highways Agency
- Kirkpatrick MacMillan Cycleway
Ae Bridge Project
Project Value : £1.0m (overall). |  |
Dumfries and Galloway Council were appointed Agent Authority in 1989 for the Scottish Office for the A701 Ae Bridge Diversion scheme. The scheme provided relief at an accident blackspot.
Ae Bridge comprises a twin span river crossing with a reinforced concrete slab deck supported on pre-stressed M beams. The South abutment was founded on rock whilst the central pier and North abutment used steel H piles. Sheet piling was used for scour protection.
Ballochruin Bridge ReplacementClient : Stirling Council Project Value : £400,000. Completion Date : (Design) April 2002 |  |
Ballochruin Bridge is a historic masonry arch structure with two main spans constructed from local sandstone and is situated on the C54 Class 3 Road by Balfron to the west of Stirling.
The location on the Endrick Water is a candidate site of Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) / Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
The importance of Ballochruin Bridge is that the structure contains two large diameter cast iron mains supplying drinking water from Loch Lomond to Glasgow. One of these mains, which date from the end of the 19th Century recently burst and caused extensive damage to the original masonry structure. As a result the bridge was closed to road traffic and in view of the suspect condition of the remaining sections of water main Stirling Council required a replacement bridge for road traffic.
Adjacent to the road bridge is a second steel bridge designed exclusively to carry large diameter water mains.
Dumfries and Galloway has designed a bridge exclusively for road traffic. The new bridge is to be positioned between the two existing bridges and will comprise a prefabricated steel superstructure spanning between reinforced concrete abutments. The prefabricated steelwork comprises 28m span longitudinal plate girders supporting universal steel cross beams and steel deck panels.
Castlemilk Bridge Pier RepairsClient : Scottish Executive Project Value : £70,000. Completion Date : April 1999. |  |
Prior to construction of the M74, Castlemilk Bridge used to be part of the A74T before this section of road was de-trunked and handed back to Dumfries and Galloway Council to become the B7076 all purpose route.
Extensive damage from road salt required sections from all the existing concrete columns to be cut out and reinstated using new steel reinforcement.
Strain gauges were provided to demonstrate that dead load had been transferred to the temporary support system prior to breaking out defective concrete.
Glasgow Road FootbridgeClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council as Agent for the Scottish Office. Project Value : £750,000 Awards : Saltire Award for Design and Saltire Award for Construction. |  |
The footbridge is a 108m long cable stayed bridge spanning the roundabout junction of the Glasgow Road (A76T) and the Dumfries Bypass (A75T).
Dumfries and Galloway Council were appointed Agent Authority in 1987 for the Scottish Office for the Dumfries Bypass Contract.
The overall Contract which had a value of £25m was for feasibility studies, design, contract preparation, and site supervision.
In addition to the Glasgow Road bridge the works including the construction of three viaducts, a railway bridge, three overbridges, one river bridge and another footbridge.
Graddoch Bridge ImprovementClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £40,000 Completion Date : 1999 Services Provided : Design and Supervision. |  |
Prior to improvement work, Graddoch Bridge comprised cast iron edge and cross beams supporting a granite slab deck. An assessment of the old structure showed it to be totally inadequate for modern traffic loading; demolition and construction of a new bridge was recommended.
The replacement bridge was designed to mirror the appearance of the earlier structure. The new bridge comprised four 9m long steel beams spanning between the original abutments and supporting a new reinforced concrete deck. Graddoch Bridge is situated in an environmentally sensitive area and construction of the new bridge included provision of ten bat boxes.
High Bridge of TarffClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £ 55,000 Completion Date : April 2005 |  |
High Bridge of Tarff is a Category "B" listed structure crossing the River Tarff near the village of Ringford near Castle –Douglas. The bridge is a 13.65m span semi elliptical voided masonry arch.
The work consisted of rebuilding the spandrel and wingwalls, replacing sections of the dressed sandstone string course and rebuilding the parapets. Work also included slabbing over between the arch ribs with reinforced concrete to replace the existing masonry slabs which were in poor condition.
Huftanny Suspension Bridge ImprovementClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £45,000 Completion Date : December 2002 |  |
Huftanny Bridge is a 33m span timber and steel suspension bridge across the Main Water of Luce. The bridge forms an important link on the Southern Upland Way. The timber sections of the previous structure were becoming life expired and a replacement structure was required.
Galvanised steel support towers have replaced the old timber towers. The old concrete abutments and anchor blocks have been utilised giving the new bridge a geometrically similar appearance to the previous structure.
The main suspension cables, wind bracing cables and hanger rods were all replaced. The old timber deck and parapet have been replaced with new timbers of a larger section, supported on a galvanised steel deck frame.
Bridge Inspections and Assessments
Client : Dumfries and Galloway Council
Keir – a bowstring girder dating from the early 20th century. Assessed using finite element programme LUSAS.
Castlefern – a Category B Listed masonry arch bridge dating from the early 19th century. This was assessed using MEXE and ARCHIE.
Dryfeholm – trough construction using riveted steel plate girders dating from the early 20th century. This was assessed manually.
Bridge Inspections and Assessments
Client : Highways Agency via AmeyMouchel
Elephant Inn Bridge – A 30 year old in situ reinforced concrete underpass carrying the M6 Motorway over a farm accommodation road. Inspection involved the use of a mobile access platform.
Castletown Bridge – A 30 year old three span continuous reinforced concrete overbridge carrying the B5288 over the M6 Motorway. Inspection involved the use of a mobile access platform and traffic management on the motorway.
Castletown Bridge – Accident damage to the deck soffit examined during inspection.
Kirkbank Bridge ImprovementClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £32,000 Completion Date : August 2001 |  |
Replacement of Kirkbank Bridge on the U329 road in Annandale and Eskdale was undertaken using 1500mm x 2400mm precast concrete boxes.
The distance between parapets was 11m, which enabled construction to be carried out one half at a time without interruption to traffic flow. Random rubble uncoursed sandstone masonry was used to face mass concrete training walls and parapets.
Kirkpatrick MacMillan CyclewayClient :Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £1 million. Completion Date : 2006 Services Provided : Design and Supervision. |  |
The Kirkpatrick Macmillan Bridge, formerly known as Castledykes, is a steel deck supported from twin, tilted circular steel arches by high tensile macalloy bars. The ballustrading is of stainless steel and was specifically designed and fabricated for this structure. The lighting units are set within the balustrade posts.
The 67.5m single span, weighing 70 tonne, was fabricated to one piece on site and lifted into place, at a set down radius of 50m, by a TC3200H Demag Strut Crane.
The bridge forms an element of the Dumfries Integrated Transport Strategy and is an important link in the National Cycle Network Leg 7 – that runs from Inverness to Sunderland.
The Kirkpatrick Macmillan Bridge forms an important foot and cycle link between the Crichton Hospital and University Site on the East Bank and housing on the West Bank, negating the need for a time consuming detour into the centre of Dumfries.
Loreburn BridgeClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £470,000 Completion Date : 2001 Services Provided : Design and Supervision. |  |
The Loreburn Bridge is of steel truss construction supported on tubular steel piles spanning the River Nith in Dumfries. The 67.5m single span, weighing 70 tonne, was fabricated in one piece and lifted into place by a single crane one Sunday morning.
The Loreburn Bridge forms an element of the Dumfries Integrated Transport Strategy and is an important link in the National Cycle Network Leg 7 – that runs from Inverness to Sunderland. The predicted annual useage is for 200,000 cyclists and 500,000 pedestrians.
Contributions were received from the Millennium Commission via Sustrans and the European Union.
Newbie Bridge, AnnanClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £450,000 Completion Date : November 2001 |  |
Newbie Bridge which spans the River Annan at Annan is of steel truss construction with a span of 78m. The single span was fabricated in one piece weighing 60 tonne and lifted into place by crane.
Newbie Bridge forms part of National Cycle Route 7 within Dumfries and Galloway which runs from Gretna to Newton Stewart. In addition the bridge is an integral link in the National Byway Cycle Route and provides considerable local benefit to pedestrians and cyclists within the Annan area.
Funding partners for the bridge included Dumfries and Galloway Council, European Union (ERDF) and the Millennium Commission via Sustrans.
Oakwell Road Railway Bridge - Masonry Arch ResearchClient : Network Rail / Dumfries and Galloway Council Completion Date : May 2006 |  |
Rail closure in 1965 and subsequent road realignment in the 1970's meant that Leaths Bridge was redundant. By 2005 the masonry arch structure had become unsafe and the owners Dumfries and Galloway Council proposed demolition.
As part of the demolition, the structure was offered for destructive testing to Bill Harvey Associates, a leading authority on the analysis and behaviour of masonry arches. Funding was provided by Network Rail from an existing work programme to investigate the load behaviour characteristics of rail bridges.
Following demolition the masonry was taken into store for re-use on other Council projects and the bridge site landscaped.
Sark Bridge WideningClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £525,000 Completion Date : June 2001 Awards : Saltire Commendation 2002 |  |
The route across the Sark Bridge is proposed as the future National Cycle Route – leg 7, and the current project to demolish the temporary bridge and widen the existing bridge for two way traffic was funded by a cross border initiative by both Dumfries and Galloway Council and Cumbria County Council.
Contributions were received from the Millennium Commission via Sustrans, P&O Irish Sea Ferries and the European Union.
Shinnel Bridge ImprovementClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £190,000 Completion Date : August 1996 |  |
Shinnel Bridge on the Edinburgh via Thornhill Principal Road A702 was a 10.5m skew span masonry arch. Improvement required both widening and carriageway realignment. The work was carried out in phases and the new concrete bridge structure and associated reinforced concrete retaining walls faced with masonry.
Initially the new downstream reinforced concrete arch extension was constructed whilst maintaining traffic flow on the existing structure. A one day road closure was then required to enable concrete infill to be placed up to the new formation level on part of the existing masonry arch prior to diverting traffic over the new downstream extension.
Finally the new upstream reinforced arch extension was completed together with a concrete saddle to the remainder of the existing masonry arch.
Southwick BridgeClient : Dumfries and Galloway Council Project Value : £495,000 Completion Date : April 1999 Awards : Saltire Award Nomination 2000 |  |
Southwick Bridge is a Category B listed "Structure of Architectural and Historic Interest" situated on the A710 Principal Road, 18 miles south west of Dumfries. This single span bridge was built in 1789 at a cost of 47 pounds and 10 shillings from predominantly granite and whinstone.
Prior to records being kept the structure was strengthened with metal tie rods. Recently its load carrying capacity was reduced to 7.5 tonnes. The structure was dismantled and rebuilt in 1998 with substantial funding from the European Regional Development Fund and support from Historic Scotland and Scottish Civic Trust.
Historic Scotland required that the original appearance of the bridge was maintained, including a "hump back" feature to the alignment.
All masonry from the dismantling process had to be re-used in the new structure and all ashlar granite blocks in the abutments, voussoirs, cope stones and pilasters were marked and numbered to enable rebuilding in their original position.
Related Information
More Information
Print
