December 1 2021

An application has been filed for a shared pedestrian and cycle bridge over the M80 at Robroyston, connecting the northern and southern elements of a planned 1,600 home housing estate.

The single-span steel structure will require significant earthwork engineering at both ends to create a ramped switchback approach with stepped access cutting through the middle.

In an engineering statement, Beaver Bridges wrote: "At the proposed crossing the M80 is higher than the adjacent land parcels, with both sites falling away perpendicular to the road. To create a softer engineered solution for the approaches, the proposed ramps up to the bridge are formed in earthworks for their entirety and have been set out in a switch back-formation.

"This arrangement allows the stepped access to become a direct route, crossing the ramp."

A master plan by GD Lodge Architects has been created for land around Robroyston Station with Barratt and David Wilson Homes bringing forward hundreds of homes between Robroyston and Millerston.

Approval in principle is being sought from Glasgow City Council for the link, which mirrors a more ambitious structure designed to augment the regeneration of Sighthill. 

12 Comments

#1 Posted by Roddy_ on 1 Dec 2021 at 19:01 PM

Any steer on how wheelchair users get across ?

#2 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 1 Dec 2021 at 22:31 PM

Would it not be cheaper and easier to build a tunnel?

The approach ramps to make it wheelchair friendly will be so large and extensive that a lift would probably be the better solution.

#3 Posted by Rob on 1 Dec 2021 at 23:07 PM

An underpass was considered initially but dropped in 2018:
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/16361172.more-appropriate-build-robroyston-footbridge-m80-underpass/

#4 Posted by Hamish Ashcroft on 2 Dec 2021 at 01:16 AM

Ah, just what Glasgow needs! Let’s build massive low density copy paste suburban sprawl on greenbelt land when there are hundreds of acres of unused brownfield land in the city. Nearly every journey from this neighbourhood will be by car, there will be no community, shops, it will be divided by a massive motorway that will be noisy, polluting, and ugly, it has very poor public transport, probably shitty build quality on the houses, poor greenspace, etc etc. It’s the opposite of what government policy is trying to achieve in regards to building on greenbelt, reducing car miles driven by 20% by 2030, encouraging active travel, creating 20 minute neighbourhoods, going zero carbon etc.

But hey, it’s got a shitty footbridge..

#5 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 2 Dec 2021 at 09:17 AM

Regarding the M80 sprawl -- specifically the area to the north -- is it being built on the green belt?

Regarding shops -- there is a bit of local retail development already / just a case is it walkable from these new houses?

Poor build quality -- cannot comment but the margins in retail house building / selling seem to be pretty high at the moment. An area to work on?

M80 @ noisy and polluting -- our zero carbon / BEV future will help as would a better road surface to reduce tyre roar.

Regarding pollution -- ICE tech has improved markedly -- no lead in petrol / particulate filters / low sulphur diesel / EU emission standards.

Just a case that they are not well policed / managed and the current MOT test is not fit for purpose and the installed NOx tech has been gamed to the max.

Biggest political issue from the newbuild in the area is the schools -- the developments are in Glesga / attached to Glesga but the builders have pushed the possibility of going to Lenzie Academy for all its worth.

Sprawl isn't the issue -- the quality / or perceived lack of quality regarding the local schools is the big issue.

#6 Posted by John on 2 Dec 2021 at 11:58 AM

errrr ..... you do know this Bridge connects the housing to the new Rail Station ?

#7 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 2 Dec 2021 at 13:10 PM

Southern edge of the new development to the bridge / tunnel site to the railway station is 850m / just over half a mile.

With the spread out nature of the housing most people will have to walk at least 1km with many having a 1500m walk to get to the station.

Big ask in the west of Scotland with our world class horizontal rainfall.

A dedicated local bus service would be a better bet to get people onto the train which will only work if we have integrated ticketing.

Probably not in my lifetime.

#8 Posted by Whispering Andy on 2 Dec 2021 at 14:29 PM

Whisper it......but a 1.5km walk is not a hardship. Just put your hands up and confess you didnt realise the train station was adjacent.

#9 Posted by John on 2 Dec 2021 at 16:04 PM

1500 meters ! ...... wow ...... surely beyond a mortal human.

#10 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 2 Dec 2021 at 18:32 PM

The train station is not adjacent to this proposed bridge -- it is over half a mile away.

The new station works well for Millerston / less well for Robroyston old and new.

#11 Posted by John on 2 Dec 2021 at 18:36 PM

1/2 mile ! ...... wow ...... surely beyond a mortal human.

#12 Posted by Stone Cold Stunner on 6 Dec 2021 at 19:57 PM

Fat Bloke on Tour.

I think it’s for the best that you stop responding. Your straw clutching to save face is beyond embarrassing now.

Your argument is everything that’s wrong with today’s society of instant gratification. ‘If it’s not on my doorstep and I can’t be lifted and laid directly to where and what I want then is too far’

It’s reminiscent of the people who balance burgers on their stomachs on motorised carts and then complain that there isn’t enough space for the ketchup which has to sit on the armrest.

Do you actually know what 1/2 a mile is. Heck, let’s go the whole mile? It’s practically nothing. It’s a short walk and it never used to reduce people to tears before.

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