Industry recognition for work to raise Lanarkshire rail bridge that had 'more hits than The Beatles'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A project to raise the height of a railway bridge said to have had “more hits than The Beatles” has been recognised with a prestigious industry award.Bellside Bridge in North Lanarkshire was the scene of so many accidents it was said to have more hits than the Fab Four.The old bridge was hit by vehicles, mainly lorries, more times than any other in Scotland, and was the seventh most struck in the UK.In the 10 years prior to the vital work being carried out, there were 56 strike incidents at the bridge.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The bridge carries the Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley trains via Shotts line over Carlisle Road.The incidents led to urgent repairs having to be carried out and train and road travel disruption.

There was often disruption to traffic through the village of Cleland.The low bridge was removed last October and replaced with a new one with a clearance of over 5.2 metres and the project scooped the Infrastructure Award for Rail at this year’s Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Scotland awards.The project by North Lanarkshire Council and Network Rail to raise the height of the rail bridge over the A73 was years in the making and was part of a campaign from local Labour councillor Louise Roarty.Councillor Roarty said: “I was back and forth in