GRAHAM is set to win a £79.5m contract to build the first opening road bridge over the River Clyde.
Councillors from Renfrewshire Council’s Finance board have agreed to award the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside contract to the civil engineering specialists.
The project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the £1.13bn Glasgow City Region City Deal.
All planning consent is in place and construction is scheduled to start in Spring and take three years to complete, with the contract to be finalised later this month following conclusion of the procurement process.
The centrepiece of the project is twin-leaf swing bridge for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians from Renfrew to the boundary between Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire.
There are also riverside walking and cycling routes and a new road through Renfrew connecting the bridge to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) being developed by the council in collaboration with Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise.
GRAHAM will deliver the main construction, with Ramboll and Amey as design partners.
Leo Martin, managing director for GRAHAM’s Civil Engineering division, said: ‘The new bridge will provide a gateway to the area’s fast-growing manufacturing innovation district and help better connect communities with significant employment and development opportunities for what will be a transformational project for the Renfrewshire and Glasgow City regions.
'GRAHAM are specialists in delivering complex civil engineering projects and our innovative construction solution will minimise the carbon impact, while we will utilise our knowledge and experience from previous landmark bridge construction and installations such as the Samuel Beckett Bridge in Dublin and Carpenters Land Bridge in Stratford to ensure this key infrastructure scheme is completed to the highest standards while ensuring we deliver a sustainable legacy and positive impact.'
Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson said: ‘We are excited by [the project’s] potential in creating a vibrant attractive waterfront and connecting communities to their work, to hospitals and to education.
'Short-term, it will accelerate economic recovery from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by creating jobs and boosting opportunities for suppliers and in the long-term, the new infrastructure opens up access to development opportunities on both sides of the Clyde and will ensure the success of AMIDS, cementing Renfrewshire’s position as the home of manufacturing innovation in Scotland.'
Michael Matheson, cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, said: ‘The Scottish Government is a full partner in the Glasgow City Region City Deal, contributing £500 million over 20 years.
‘The investment in this project through the Deal will contribute to the region’s economic recovery by creating jobs and providing the commercial infrastructure to support and attract businesses to Glasgow and the surrounding areas. It also encourages active travel supporting walking and cycling infrastructure in the area.’
