THE main span of the new cyclist, pedestrian and wheeler bridge over the M8 connecting Sighthill with the nearby city centre was installed at the weekend.
The new bridge is due to open in the early months of 2022 and will form an active travel route and is part of the £250million regeneration of Sighthill.
The 1,000-tonne structure is made of weathering steel, which will result in lower maintenance costs and reflects both the area’s industrial heritage and the front of the new buildings such as the Sighthill community schools campus.
It has been fabricated alongside the westbound carriageway of the M8 over the past year.
It was bolted to a specialist trailer and moved along the M8 in an operation taking between four and six hours.
The team then used hydraulic jacks to lift the bridge into place.
To allow the installation the M8 motorway was closed overnight in both directions on Saturday 31 July/Sunday 1 August.
The bridge is funded through the Glasgow City Region City Deal.
Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: “The installation of the main span of the Sighthill M8 Bridge is a key stage in both the reconnection of Sighthill and the nearby city centre, and the wider transformation of the area, one of the UK’s biggest such projects.
“When complete, this new bridge will provide a landmark gateway to Sighthill and an active travel route between Sighthill, the city centre and the communities of North Glasgow.”
