A busy road will be closed to traffic for over a year as a bridge is demolished in a £140m project.  

Work will begin on April 2 to demolish and reconstruct Thornliebank Bridge in a plan by Network Rail to electrify the East Kilbride to Glasgow railway line.

The works will continue until June 2025 and will affect road users who will be diverted via Thornliebank Road, Rouken Glen Road, Fenwick Road, Kilmarnock Road and Nether Auldhouse Road (and vice versa).

Glasgow Times:

We also previously reported that bus services will be affected, with the First services 57 and 57A operating via a diversion during the closure and stops within the closed area will not be served.

This £5.5m programme of work is being delivered by Network Rail and its contractor Story and is part of a wider £140m investment in the East Kilbride Enhancement project.

Engineers will create the required clearance height to allow the new overhead line equipment to run underneath the bridge so electric trains can run on the line.

They will also install a new and improved road surface.

Glasgow Times:

Over the coming months until September, the first phase involves diverting a number of service utilities from the existing structure onto a temporary footbridge that is being installed towards the end of April.

Following completion of the utilities diversion, the road bridge will be demolished, from 27 to 30 September, and then the reconstruction work will begin.

Pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained, and train services at the station will operate as normal – except on the weekend of the bridge demolition.

Shops and businesses on Thornliebank's Main Street and the surrounding area are open as usual during the works.

Simon Humble, project manager at Network Rail, said: “Thornliebank Road bridge represents the largest civils structure on the East Kilbride Enhancement project and is a significant undertaking.

“Although the first phase is a labour-intensive period of diverting a number of utilities from the bridge, including fibre optic, water and gas, it allows a substantial part of the work to be delivered during the day.

“When we start the construction phase later this year, this involves more complex engineering – some of which can only be done overnight when no trains are running, and we will update the community in advance of this.

“While we do appreciate the inconvenience of having to close the bridge, it is the only way we can deliver this part of the project and we would encourage everyone to add in some extra travel time.”