The heart of Renfrewshire Council’s Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside (CWRR) project, the first operational test of the bridge was carried out by project contractor GRAHAM and commissioning works will continue ahead of the official opening later this year.

The new bridge will connect Renfrew with Clydebank and Yoker directly for the first time and is set to provide work, health, education and leisure opportunities for communities on both sides of the river.

The project will also create additional connecting active travel and road links from Yoker Railway Station to Renfrew town centre, as well as on to the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) – Scotland’s home of manufacturing innovation.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “It’s fantastic to see this project continue to progress and move through significant milestones as we continue to show that we can deliver significant infrastructure projects successfully.

“Thousands of jobs will be, and have been, created through the CWRR project, as well as the opportunity for new homes and investment on the riverside and access to health and leisure for communities on both sides of the river.

“It’s part of an ongoing programme of transformational capital investment in Renfrewshire and the Glasgow City Region which will benefit people now but also generations to come, and I’m looking forward to seeing this new transport link completed later this year.”

Video credit - Drone Scotland

The new bridge and connecting infrastructure are part of Renfrewshire Council’s capital investment programme which also includes the modernisation of Paisley Town Hall into one of Scotland’s top entertainment venues, the creation of the award-winning Learning and Cultural Hub on Paisley High Street, the renewal of Paisley Arts Centre into a unique performance venue, and the transformation of Paisley Museum into a world-class visitor destination.

The bridge is scheduled for completion in late Autumn and this operational success marks a major milestone in the project being delivered by Renfrewshire Council, GRAHAM and HIJV.

Jim Armour, GRAHAM project director, said: “This is a great milestone that demonstrates all the hard work from the full team over the last two to three years has been a success.

“It was great to see the bridge closing for the first time in such a smooth, controlled, and seamless operation. The next stage of the project is to conduct commissioning which includes reliability and operational testing, with a number of opening and closing procedures to ensure the whole structure is working safely and efficiently. We are all looking forward to the official opening.”

The project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish Governments through the £1.13billion Glasgow City Region City Deal, a partnership of eight councils working to deliver a programme of work to grow a strong, inclusive and sustainable City Region and an economy which delivers for all people and businesses.