The new Eurocentral road interchange straddling the A8 between Newhouse and Baillieston is a vital piece in the carefully created construction jigsaw which has created prosperity for Lanarkshire's whole Eurocentral project.
The beginnings go back to 1991 when British Rail selected Eurocentral at Mossend as Scotland's only Channel Tunnel terminal.
Ian Livingstone, chairman of Lanarkshire Development Agency, is justifiably proud of how, in a few short years, a collection of muddy farm fields next to a forgotten railhead has become what he describes as: ''Scotland's premier international manufacturing and distribution hub and certainly the country's busiest construction site at present''.
The 600-acre area involved had the need for a new junction with the Glasgow-Edinburgh A8 identified on its master plan from the start as vital for providing direct access to the national road network.
Close by, Chunghwa Picture Tubes is completing its new manufacturing facility, a #260m development which will create 3300 new jobs. It heads a long list which also includes Lite-On Technology, UK, investing #40m in a new computer monitor plant which will employ 1000. The site has also been chosen by Allied Precision, Harris Logistics and Auto-Trax. Scottish Power, Scottish Express International and Headlam have also located to Eurocentral on the site developed by LDA's joint venture partners AMEC Developments.
The vital need for the earliest possible completion of the interchange precluded its inclusion in the future M8 Design Build Finance Operation Scheme. Another novel aspect of the project emphasised its urgency. In order to meet the overall tight deadlines, outline construction consent was granted by the local planning authority prior to the award of the design and build contract.
''This new dedicated link to Scotland's motorway system is vital,'' said Ian Livingstone. ''It will assist all the companies which have invested here by offering fast and easy access to the motorway network and will enhance our efforts to attract further investment to this major development site.''
It is an interchange bridge that looks ahead. Its width allows for the future widening of the remaining stretch of the A8 to planned motorway standards without any need for disruption.
Lanarkshire Development Agency has invested some #6.6m in the interchange project, which was supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Strathclyde European Partnership, which contributed some #1.85m.
Some 400 tons of structural steelwork, designed in Glasgow and manufactured in Wales, were involved in the construction. One vital aspect of the 35-week construction period was the requirement to bridge the busy A8 with minimal disruption to traffic. This was accomplished by a variety of means, including many operations being carried out by night, when traffic was at its lowest.
One aspect in the final structure likely to be noted by many passing drivers is that the underside to the interchange bridge uses white concrete and that the support beams are painted in what is described as ''European Blue''. This was advised under a review of proposed final appearance carried out under the direction of the Scottish Office to blend in with all future proposed road bridge constructions.
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