Weathered and glorious: Glasgow’s stunning new active transport bridge opens to the public

Glasgow, 24 March 2023 - BAM engineers have made the finishing touches to a landmark new active travel bridge in Glasgow which will connect over 800 new homes in the Sighthill area to the city centre.

The eye-catching new bridge over Scotland’s busiest motorway opened to pedestrian and cyclists for the first time this morning (Wednesday 22 March). 

The bridge is part of a £250 million regeneration of the north Glasgow neighbourhood and is the biggest regeneration project in the country outside of London.

The main span of the new structure was installed during a 14-hour closure of the M8 motorway in summer 2021 with the 2420-tonne structure pirouetted into place by BAM and specialists, Mammoet.

Manufactured using Cor-Ten steel, the weathered appearance of the structure is a key part of its design, reducing maintenance costs, and reflecting both the area's industrial heritage and the front of the local St Martin’s Primary School campus.

The bridge also benefitted from state-of-the-art technology as BAM became the first construction contractor in Scotland to make use of 3D concrete printing to create the staircase which will provides access on the southside of the new structure. It is the largest printed concrete construction in the UK to date.

Once fully installed the new steps were clad in granite, creating an attractive, long-lasting, slip-free finish.

BAM Contracts Manager Ian Steele said: ‘We’re so pleased to see the bridge open to the public. It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work from our construction team, Glasgow City Council and our subcontractor partners. I’m absolutely delighted with the look of the new structure – the views across Glasgow are fantastic and the structure itself looks glorious now that the landscaping is complete. The project has pushed the boundaries of what’s possible within construction, using cutting-edge digital techniques and collaboration from everyone involved. We are proud to leave a sustainable legacy that will benefit the North of Glasgow for years to come.’

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and Chair of the Glasgow City Region City Deal, said: ‘The ongoing regeneration of Sighthill is one of the biggest projects of its kind on these islands - and the completion of this remarkable bridge is a real landmark in that journey. It signals the reconnection of Sighthill with not only the city centre but also neighbouring communities in North Glasgow.’