Balfour Beatty demolishes Scottish M8 bridge to create junction

1146 Balfour Beatty has demolished a farm access bridge over the M8 motorway between junctions 4 and 5 to enable the completion of slip roads for the new Heartlands junction in West Lothian, Scotland.

The demolition of Cowhill Bridge is a major milestone for Ecosse Regeneration in the construction of Junction 4a. Using ten excavators equipped with hydraulic breakers and munching attachments, the four span composite construction bridge was successfully removed during a recent 10-hour night time closure of the M8. Materials removed during the demolition are being recycled, including the concrete which will be crushed and reused in the construction of the roads.

A recently completed 50m long, single span bridge provides a new access to the farm and forms part of the new grade separated junction that will provide the main access route to Heartlands, a US$968.15 million (£650mn) business, retail, residential and leisure destination, providing around 4,000 new jobs. Funded by 6192 The Royal Bank of Scotland, this will be the first entirely privately funded motorway junction in Scotland.

M8 Junction 4a is set to open in September 2013.