February 19 2025

A disused railway line spanning the River Clyde could become an active travel route connecting Carmyle and Westburn, according to a new planning application.

Sustrans has asked Amey Consulting to help bring the viaduct back into use as a walking and cycling corridor, including a replacement superstructure and amphitheatre-style social spaces.

Dating from the 1890s and fully decommissioned in 1983 the 130m crossing sits on sandstone piers and is considered dangerous in its present condition. Reclaimed steel and stone will be repurposed as benches, planters and signage with overgrowth cut back on both banks to open up river views.

Detailing the scope of the new bridge design Amey wrote: "The three primary spans will comprise an arched steel double-warren truss which is bookended by arched reinforced concrete end spans. All the spans will be supported by the existing sandstone substructure via new reinforced concrete plinths."

Corrosion-resistant steel will be specified for the new structure, including three main latticework arches topped by a matching parapet, with the piers reduced in height to better connect with adjoining active travel routes. 

8 Comments

#1 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Feb 2025 at 11:53 AM

I wonder what a low cost solution would look like?
42 years of neglect -- by whom? -- will cost a pretty packet with SusTrans build economics / project delivery.

Why do we need to increase the height of the bridge -- if it was good enough for Victorian trains it should be good enough for 21st century bikes.

Scope creep anyone?
Budget blowout anyone?

#2 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 19 Feb 2025 at 12:07 PM

Badger report -- what is the going rate for such a report / piece of analysis?

Is their a micro economy / community of badgers who can use PowerPoint or is it just more middle class welfare?

#3 Posted by Roddy_ on 20 Feb 2025 at 12:51 PM

Looks like an interesting opportunity but when you look at what's on the other side you might wonder if it's worth crossing at all. Easily some of the worst sprawl in Scotland.

#4 Posted by Heidfirst on 20 Feb 2025 at 15:01 PM

#2 it's a requirement as badgers are a protected species & there are known to be badgers in the area

#5 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 20 Feb 2025 at 16:09 PM

Why are badgers considered to be a protected species if other parts of government are trying to gas them?

Why are newts / bats / voles protected species if we keep finding them everywhere?

At some point reality needs to be faced up to.

#6 Posted by Mark on 20 Feb 2025 at 22:18 PM

With Sustrans having lost its funding from the Scottish Government and then its cyclist-in-chief, I wonder how this will be funded and managed? As much as I like warren trusses fabricated from CorTen steel, I agree that you'd surely try to repair or reconstruct the existing bridge beams and keep the deck at grade. The Forgotten Relics website says that, "Westburn Viaduct remains in generally fair condition, with the metalwork suffering light surface corrosion with some localised section loss."

@FatBOT - the going rate for badger reports depends on how many badgers you have. There's a per capita charge, a bit like a badger bounty.

#7 Posted by Heidfirst on 21 Feb 2025 at 16:13 PM

#5 in Scotland nobody is trying to gas badgers, it's an offence.

e definitely don't find Great Crested Newts, Water Voles & certain species of bat everywhere. Because you might find a species in more places than you expect (often due to low recording effort) doesn't mean that it doesn't need protecting. Distribution & abundance are seperate & everything has it's place in the ecology - unbalancing the system can have unexpected & deleterious affects.

#8 Posted by Bemused_Citizen on 25 Feb 2025 at 17:50 PM

I just don't understand why the bridge needs to be arched, with arched trusses? The design statement shows that they're removing historic masonry additions from the pier, which would allow the bride to be lowered. But, then, they go and make the overall steel structure taller ... it just doesn't make sense.

It was a straight bridge with straight trusses - do that again, but lower down. That would then reduce the amound of earthworks and landscaping.

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