A Glasgow City Council committee awarded the contract for the Govan - Partick Bridge, which is a Glasgow City Region City Deal project with funding from the Scottish and UK governments. Final approval of the contract will be considered at the Glasgow City Region Cabinet on 7 December.
Ten contractors submitted bids for the contract, with the top five scoring of these invited to submit a tender - three did, with Farrans selected for the contract award as the highest scoring on criteria that included price, quality, design, construction impact, quality control and fair work practices.
Some 143 construction jobs will be supported through the project, and there will also be community benefits, including starts for 11 new employees, five new apprentices and a new graduate. School mentoring, work placement, volunteering and work experience opportunities will also take place and there will be business mentoring opportunities and supply chain briefings as well as community engagement from the contractors, with both financial and non-financial support for local projects.
The new pedestrian/cycle bridge will cross the Clyde between Water Row in Govan and Pointhouse Quay in Partick, re-establishing the historic link between the two areas. The bridge is seen as economically, environmentally and socially important as it will create a link between communities, visitor attractions and institutions of national economic importance, and is a key part of the active travel route between the University of Glasgow's campus at Gilmorehill and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
In addition to the construction of the fabricated cable-stayed opening swing bridge, the project will also see:
- demolition of a section of masonry/concrete quay wall and access stairs at Water Row, Govan;
- construction of a sheet piled quay wall and Infilling to finished ground level to extend Pointhouse Quay to form the north bridge landing, access ramp and public realm;
- construction of a reinforced concrete abutment/quay wall and Infilling of the disused Govan Ferry Inlet at Water Row in Govan to form the south landing;
- construction of bridge approach ramps, retaining walls, provision of drainage and public realm at the north and south bridge landings;
- bridge and public realm statutory and feature lighting;
- diversion of the Scottish Water Combined Sewer Outfall at Pointhouse Quay;
- extension and modification of existing Cathodic Protection Scheme at Pointhouse Quay; and
- installation of timber fenders and access for a layby berth at Merklands Quay on the Clyde.
Councillor Susan Aitken, Chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: "The award of this contract will mark a key stage in a project which will be transformative for the Clyde waterfront and the city region. The Govan - Partick Bridge will not only provide an active travel connection between the West End and the South Side of the city, but will directly create new jobs, apprenticeships, training and other opportunities, as well as complementing a number of other ongoing or forthcoming major regeneration projects that stretch all the way from the University of Glasgow to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.”
Works are expected to begin on site in January 2022, with project completion towards the end of 2023.
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