Balfour Beatty demolishes Scottish M8 bridge to create junction

Balfour Beatty has demolished a farm access bridge over the M8 motorway between junctions 4 and 5 to enable the completion of slip roads for the new Heartlands junction in West Lothian, Scotland. The demolition of Cowhill Bridge is a major milestone for Ecosse Regeneration in the construction of Junction 4a. Using ten excavators equipped with hydraulic breakers and munching attachments, the four span composite construction bridge was successfully removed during a recent 10-hour night time closure of the M8.
July 11, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
1146 Balfour Beatty has demolished a farm access bridge over the M8 motorway between junctions 4 and 5 to enable the completion of slip roads for the new Heartlands junction in West Lothian, Scotland.

The demolition of Cowhill Bridge is a major milestone for Ecosse Regeneration in the construction of Junction 4a. Using ten excavators equipped with hydraulic breakers and munching attachments, the four span composite construction bridge was successfully removed during a recent 10-hour night time closure of the M8. Materials removed during the demolition are being recycled, including the concrete which will be crushed and reused in the construction of the roads.

A recently completed 50m long, single span bridge provides a new access to the farm and forms part of the new grade separated junction that will provide the main access route to Heartlands, a US$968.15 million (£650mn) business, retail, residential and leisure destination, providing around 4,000 new jobs. Funded by 6192 The Royal Bank of Scotland, this will be the first entirely privately funded motorway junction in Scotland.

M8 Junction 4a is set to open in September 2013.
Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Formwork developments in bridge construction
    February 23, 2012
    Major infrastructure projects worldwide are relying on innovative formwork solutions for speed and safety as Patrick Smith reports. The 970m long cable-stayed Golden Ears Bridge crossing the Fraser River in Vancouver, Canada, is the core element of a six-lane, highway project near the Canadian west coast.
    Read More
  • Volvo machines help construct new Norwegian tunnels
    January 12, 2015
    Close to Larvik in Norway’s Vestfold County and around 80km south of Drammen, two tunnels are currently under construction as part of a state-funded infrastructure development programme. The project, which began earlier this year, comprises 7km of four lane highway – part of the E18 major route – linking the towns of Bommestad and Sky. This includes the new Larvik and Matineå tunnels, which will span 2.8 and 1.3km respectively. Worth €187 million, this project was awarded to Skanska Norway, the second la
    Read More
  • Terex Washing System’s bespoke plant for Paterson’s Quarries
    August 23, 2013
    A Terex Washing Systems (TWS) 150tonnes/hour recycling wash plant has recently been installed for Paterson’s Quarries in the UK. The bespoke plant is now up and running ten hours plus each day at the firm’s Greenoakhill Quarry & Recycling Centre in Glasgow. It is processing construction, demolition and excavation waste to produce four grades of stone and two grades of sand.
    Read More
  • Italy's strategic tunnel link
    August 21, 2012
    The world's largest tunnelling machine is completing Italy's important road connection between Bologna and Florence - Adrian Greeman reports For just under a decade a huge programme of highway construction has been underway in the mountainous region between Bologna and Florence, realigning a section of the A1 highway nearly 70km long. The new section, through major tunnels and across high viaducts, will greatly increase capacity on Italy's most important highway.
    Read More

Highlighted Content