West Lothian Council delivers

Road Bridges

 

The council is responsible for the local road  network. There are some 726 bridges located throughout West Lothian. Of these, some 550 bridges are managed and maintained by the council. The remainder are managed and maintained by bodies such as Transport Scotland, Network Rail, British Waterways, Sustrans and British Rail Board (Residuary).

The Structures Team is responsible for the following;

• the management and maintenance of highway structures;
• regular inspections e.g. general and principal inspections of highway structures, including bridges and underpasses; 
• routine/preventative and essential maintenance;
• upgrading and replacement works;
• management of sub-standard bridges;
• assessment and strengthening;
• design, specification, contractor procurement, site supervision and project management of bridge works;
• abnormal loads routing;
• graffiti cleaning on highway structures;

In addition to the above, the Structures Team also provides;

• specialist advice on building structures and civil engineering works.

Objective

• To manage and maintain highway structures within West Lothian to provide structures that are safe to use, fit for purpose and meet agreed performance targets.

Structures

Assets managed by the Structures Team include:

• Road, Rail and Canal Bridges
• Footbridges
• Underpasses
• Culverts
• Retaining Walls

The bridge stock comprises masonry, concrete, steel, timber and composite structures.

Partnership Working

West Lothian Council currently works in partnership with other structure owners and partner organisations including:

• Transport Scotland (new window)
• Network Rail (new window)
• British Waterways Board (new window)
• Sustrans (new window)
• Bear Scotland (new window)
• British Rail Board (Residuary) (new window)
• Historic Scotland (new window)
• SEPA (new window)
• Scottish Natural Heritage (new window)
• Audit Scotland (new window)
• Edinburgh Council (new window)
• Falkirk Council (new window)
• North Lanarkshire Council (new window)
• Utility Companies

The council is also a member of the Society of Chief Officers of Transport in Scotland (SCOTS) Bridges Group.

Inspections

West Lothian Council currently carries out visual inspections (general inspections) of structures every 2 years and more detailed inspections (principal inspections) every 6 years.

Results of these inspections are used to establish, cost and prioritise future maintenance programmes.

Bridge Management System

The bridge stock is managed using the Confirm Structures Database, which holds details of all council bridges. Inspection Reports are also held in this database together with details of the Condition Indicator for each bridge.

Maintenance

Maintenance work undertaken by the Structures Team is normally identified through the General and Principal Inspection Programme. However, reports from members of the public are also valuable in identifying necessary bridge work.  Defects to structures are rated according to their extent and severity.

Accidental Damage

Accidental damage is mainly caused by vehicular impact. This often results in damage to bridge parapets or, in the case of over height vehicles, damage to the bridge deck.

Statutory Performance Indicators

The Bridges - Road Network Restrictions indicator is reported on an annual basis. Details can be found on the Audit Scotland Website (new window).

Listed Structures

There are currently 26 listed bridges in West Lothian. The Council works closely with Historic Scotland (new window) in managing and maintaining these structures.

Reporting Damage to Structures

You can report damage to any structure in West Lothian by contacting the Council's 24 hour Customer Services Centre on 01506 775000. A brief description of the damage and location of the structure is very useful in helping us identify the relevant structure.