Facelift afoot for historic railway viaduct’s footbridge
A unique viaduct’s footbridge, located within the Scottish Borders, is to receive a much-needed facelift for residents, walkers and generations to come.
The soon-to-be refurbished, suspended footbridge hangs across three of the arches of the Roxburgh (Teviot) Viaduct
The suspended footbridge which hangs proudly over the River Teviot on the north side of the 19th century Roxburgh Viaduct – often referred to as the Teviot Viaduct – is set to be refurbished by Highways England to improve its safety.
Built by the North British Railway in 1850, the distinctively curving 13-arch viaduct is among the 3,000+ former railway structures maintained by Highways England Historical Railways Estate (HRE) on behalf of owners, the Department for Transport.
The footbridge is a key part of a popular and circular walking route along the Border Abbeys Pedestrian Way, close to the villages of Roxburgh and Heiton, near Kelso.
Fiona Smith, Civil Engineer for Highways England HRE, said:
The suspended pedestrian bridge has been impacted from flooding as well as suffering with general decay and corrosion.
It is therefore necessary for the structure, which hangs along a picturesque location over the River Teviot, to be sensitively repaired to maintain public safety and for future generations to enjoy.
Refurbishment work on the footbridge will see the spans lifted and taken to a specialist workshop for repair and refurbishment. Some elements may be replaced depending on corrosion severity.
New timbers will also be installed across the deck and once repairs have been completed, the footbridge will be reinstalled from the deck of the listed viaduct.
An environmental management plan will be in place for the duration of the work to ensure the protection of the River Teviot and its ecosystem.
Work starts on Thursday 29 October and will require the closure of the footbridge until Spring 2021.
Public access over the footbridge will be diverted across the deck of the viaduct for the duration of the refurbishment work. To maintain public safety during lifting activity, access across the viaduct will also be suspended at the start and end of the work meaning there will be no access across the viaduct from Thursday 29 October and Friday 30 October.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.