Network Rail has successfully replaced the bridge over the railway at Lynebeg, Scotland, despite the ongoing impact of Storm Arwen
Working 78 hours from Friday night until Tuesday morning, construction teams demolished the 1884 Victorian masonry structure, and replaced it with a 660ton twin-track concrete box structure.
The bridge is part of supporting work ahead of the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy, and has been the culmination of years of meticulous planning and preparation with Network Rail, its contractor BAM Nuttall, Atkins Mouchel joint venture and Transport Scotland.
The construction team used a Self-Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) system to carry the structure from the site compound, where it was constructed offline over a 10-week period, before manoeuvring the massive 660-ton structure several hundred meters along the B1954 and sliding it to its final position.
Two 750-ton cranes then lifted seven concrete wingwalls, which were also constructed on site, into position.
The new bridge will strengthen, safeguard, and futureproof the route for the long-term including dealing with the weight and volume of traffic which passes over it, and accommodating any future double-tracking of the line should that be proposed in the future.
‘Safeguarding and improving connectivity on Scotland’s Highland Mainline’
Minister for transport, Mr Graeme Dey, commented: “The success of the Lynebeg rail bridge installation marks a significant milestone for the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project, as the first tangible improvement to the transport infrastructure as part of the project’s advance works.
“Not only is this new structure safeguarding and improving connectivity on Scotland’s Highland Mainline, these works will help to deliver the ongoing A9 Dualling programme and will enhance the local infrastructure for the benefit of the surrounding communities.
“I would also like to thank all passengers whose travel plans were affected by these works and the local community for their patience during the construction of the new bridge.”
Working ‘against the clock’
Billy McKay, Network Rail’s programme manager for the Lynebeg bridge replacement works, said: “We are delighted that the work to replace the bridge at Lynebeg was completed successfully and the railway re-opened to traffic as planned – despite terrible weather conditions and the impact of Storm Arwen.
“The installation was complex due to requirement to remove the existing railway infrastructure including cabling, track and the embankment, before the concrete bridge could be pushed into its final position. And all against the clock due to the need to reinstate and re-open the line to traffic at the end of the possession.
“As well as upgrading the railway bridge, the team is delighted to have played a part in supporting the future dualling of the A9“.
Works will continue on site for several weeks to complete the new structure, including cladding the concrete wing walls with the recovered stone from the original stone arch bridge which was constructed as part of the Highland Mainline in 1884.
