Clackmannanshire Council Online

Bridges in Clackmannanshire

Bridges in Clackmannanshire

Bridges are an essential component to Clackmannanshire’s highway network. The Council has a statutory duty to maintain them in a safe condition for use by the public and has a structured bridge inspection and maintenance programme in place.

The main aim of the bridge maintenance programme is to:

• Improve the safety of the structure stock
• Minimise traffic congestion and maximise network availability
• Maintain or improve the visual condition of the structure stock
• Preserve the structure stock by timely maintenance/improvement works

Many bridges are key transport links and unless these structures are maintained in a safe condition there is a chance that there will be breaks in these links which would have an adverse effect on Clackmannanshire’s transportation infrastructure.

Bridge maintenance

Bridge maintenance is defined as including ‘all operations designed to maintain a bridge in a serviceable condition’. This includes the following aspects:

• Regular inspections
  • General inspections every 2 years and principal inspections every 6 years
• Routine maintenance
  • Minor works carried out on a regular basis
• Steady state maintenance
• Preventative maintenance
  • Work to repair defects, replace components or otherwise to slow down the rate of deterioration
• Essential maintenance
  • Rehabilitation work undertaken when part (or whole) of a structure is considered to be (or about to become) structurally inadequate
• Upgrading work
  • Work to bring the structure up to current standards
• Management of substandard bridges prior to strengthening
• Replacement
  • When a bridge reaches the end of its useable life

Bridge inventory

There are currently 183 bridges and culverts identified within Clackmannanshire at the moment which are included within the bridges inventory.

These include Clackmannanshire Council owned and maintained bridges, footbridges and culverts, Network Rail owned bridges, British Railways Board owned bridges and privately owned bridges.