Construction of a new bridge over the River Clyde has commenced.

Construction has commenced on the new Clyde Road Bridge, which costs a total of £7.4 million.

South Lanarkshire Council gave the contract to Eric Wright Civil Engineering (ECWE) to do the work, and a significant point in the project was accomplished by Aarsleff, who is the expert contractor responsible for finishing the installation of all the pre-made concrete piles for the bridge's substructure.

The company called Mabey Bridge, who are experts in engineering, have been chosen by EWCE to build and put in place the main bridge part which will go across the River Clyde near Carstairs Junction. It will be 90 meters long.

Scotland's reinforced concrete bridge, which was constructed in 1912, is currently in existence. It was one of the first of its kind at that time. However, it has had a weight limit of three tonnes for several years now, and was eventually shut down in August of 2018 owing to serious structural issues that posed a danger to road users.

The upcoming 90m single span is set to be launched over the river from the south side instead of being lifted into place. The bridge will have reinforced concrete abutments, which are further upheld by 64 concrete piles transformed by driving them into the ground. This setup will ensure greater stability and also improve its ability to handle heavy loads. Once the construction of the new bridge is done, the old one will be demolished and taken away from the area.

Before Easter, a bunch of events was organized to provide information to the residents of the area about the ongoing work that will be done.

The head of the committee responsible for community and enterprise resources at the council, Councillor Robert Brown, expressed his satisfaction with the announcement that construction of the new Clyde Bridge has commenced.

By doing this, we will restore a crucial aspect of our highway system and put a stop to the present detour, which can cause road users to spend more time and travel additional distances during their journeys.

When discussing the agreement, Diane Bourne, who is the director in charge of Eric Wright Civil Engineering, stated: "The bridge has desperately needed replacing for a very long time, and we are extremely happy to have been chosen to begin constructing this crucial local infrastructure that will improve the community's prospects for many years to come."