Spencer Group wins £18m bridge maintenance project

Spencer Group has been appointed to carry out a long-term maintenance painting programme on Scotland’s Erskine Bridge following a competitive tender process.

Hull-based Spencer Group will carry out the £18m package of works over a four-year period in the latest stage of a long-term relationship with the bridge, which spans the River Clyde near Glasgow.

Opened in 1971, Erskine Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge of its type in the world. Spencer Group has been awarded a contract by bridge owner Transport Scotland to deliver an extensive programme of maintenance painting.

Scotland Transerv is the principal designer and the engineer managing the works. COWI was appointed as technical experts to assist Scotland Transerv produce the design and will assist management of the works.

The contract comes after Spencer Group recently completing a £10m project to complete repair works which followed a fracture that caused the closure of the Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh.

Bridges projects manager, James Barnes said the Spencer Group’s plan for the works offered Transport Scotland quality, value and a solution that will minimise impact on journeys across the bridge.

He said: “Transport Scotland is committed to the high-quality, long-term maintenance of the bridge, in the interests of travellers and the Scottish economy, while minimising disruption to the public.

“Our approach to the project is to limit the amount of time we will occupy the carriageways on the bridge.”

Spencer Group has recently delivered another major maintenance project, on the Humber Bridge, close to Spencer Group’s headquarters in Hull.

James added: “Our extensive and proven track record over many years has given us unrivalled expertise in bridge projects such as this.

“Clients know they can rely on us to find innovative ways of delivering engineering and maintenance works in very difficult environments, working at height and on critical parts of the transport network, while always making safety our foremost priority.”