With Glasgow making preparations for the Commonwealth Games, this missing link in the city’s motorway infrastructure needed fixing urgently.

The stretch needed three lanes of carriageway with hard shoulder in each direction, 14 bridges and four junctions. Work ran alongside busy railway lines and roads near the city centre. So precise planning, good communication and rapid deployment were vital to reduce disruption.

The Port Eglinton Viaduct stretch was a significant challenge, needing expert engineering and coordination to slide bridge sections over the West Coast Main Line.

Disruption to road and rail users was minimised thanks to innovative construction methods and strong communications - with stakeholders, transport providers and commuters. Costs were also reduced through design and our approach to waste management.

Habitats were preserved and enhanced and we worked with local business, schools, authorities and regeneration bodies to make a lasting difference to the economy.

The M74 Completion scheme has been delivered ahead of schedule and under budget whilst engineering sustainable solutions within the road corridor, creating more wildlife habitats and putting in place a wide variety of mitigation measures.
Keith Brown Transport Minister for Scotland

Engineering triumph

Two 200m steel sections were push launched 166m across railways and roads to create the Port Eglinton Viaduct.

Building responsibly

More than 2.1m tonnes of recycled material were used on the project.

Communities

More than 70% of the 850 people working on the project at its peak were from the surrounding area.

Environment

To enhance biodiversity and habitats, extensive landscaping included planting more than 200,000 plants and 80,000 trees.

Construction workers assembling the Port Eglinton Viaduct on the M74

Civil engineering expertise

To avoid building support piers close to railway tracks, we redesigned the section of the Port Eglinton Viaduct passing over the West Coast Main Line.

Two 200m sections of steel bridge - complete with concrete decks - were then push launched 166m over the tracks and roads below.

Sliding the 4,200 tonne structures into place required expert planning, coordination and communication.

This safe, innovative and cost-effective solution meant less disturbance for road and rail users.

At the eastern end of the route, we came up with an alternative single-span design for the Auchenshuggle Bridge (pictured).

This avoided having to construct support piers in the River Clyde, reducing the environmental impact on the waterway. Instead, we used the largest mobile crane in Europe to place the bridge’s supporting steel beams of up to 86.5m.

Construction of M74 retaining wall, saving 4,000 tonnes of concrete

Waste management

Our team went beyond the brief; formulating a Site Waste Management Plan, which reduced costs while minimising effects on the environment and community.

Reduce
‘Designing out waste’ by rationalising retaining walls saved 4,000 tonnes of concrete.

Recycle

86,000 tonnes of highly contaminated land were remediated on site to be used as fill.
500,000 tonnes of rubble from demolished buildings were recycled into aggregate and used to build embankments.
25,000 tonnes of clay from a nearby construction site was recycled and used on the project.

Reuse
Nearly 43,000 tonnes of remediated material from resurfacing work was reused.

Legacy

More than 70% of the 850 people working on the construction project at its peak were from the surrounding area.
We worked with our supply chain partners to provide training opportunities for local unemployed people and school leavers.
An on-site training centre was created taking on 20 young people, 12 of whom went on to start apprenticeships.
Our construction project management team members shared their skills, knowledge and experience with local learners - from primary schools to higher education.

Engineers at the M74 completion project implementing 'designing out waste' strategies

Awards

ROSPA

Gold award
British Safety Council

International Safety Award
CIWM

Sustainable Construction and Demolition Project of the Year
Green Apple Environment Award

International Green Hero (Green Organisation)
Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland

Special commendation (2010)
CEEQUAL

Excellence award
Construction News Awards

Project Over £50m Winner (2011)
Considerate Constructors Scheme

Gold Award
Saltire Award

Civil engineering

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