A WEAK Barrhead bridge will cost almost a quarter of a million pounds to replace.

The Glen Street crossing has been subject to daily use by heavy goods vehicles for years – despite its gross tonnage limit of 7.5 tonnes.

Now East Renfrewshire Council (ERC) says the bridge is in dire need of replacement.

Originally, £112,000 was earmarked for the project to remove and replace the bridge, which is thought to be more than 60 years old.

However, the cost has risen by a further £99,000 after it was discovered that the construction would be more difficult than anticipated and take longer to complete.

At a meeting of ERC’s full council, the council’s director of environment Andrew Cahill said: “There is a long standing allocation within the programme for the replacement of Glen Street Bridge, Barrhead which has a weight restriction of 7.5 T and is in a poor state of repair.

“The works required to replace the bridge will be more extensive and cost more than originally envisaged, as tests have revealed that the bridge’s abutments are not on the bedrock as expected and contain a number of voids.

“This discovery delayed the design and tendering process – the overall cost of the scheme will increase by £99,000.”

Barrhead Community Council has campaigned to stop HGVs using the bridge in the past.

It was feared that the repeated strain on the ageing steel structure would result in permanent damage or even collapse.

However, since the bacon firm D&R Stevenson closed down its Glen Street operation two years ago, the amount of heavy goods traffic using the bridge has dwindled.

Despite this, HGVs continue to use the crossing when travelling from nearby Muriel Street.