North Bridge Refurbishment
Project value: £17.5 million
Sector: Infrastructure
Local spend within 40 miles: 100%
Local labour within 40 miles: 82%
Spend with SME subcontractors: 81%
Waste diverted from landfill: 98%
Local jobs created: 22
Project procured via: SCAPE Civil Engineering framework
"As part of our broader plans to create a people-focused Capital under the long-term City Centre Transformation programme, the road running over the bridge will eventually benefit from active travel improvements, connecting to our growing network of walking and cycling-friendly routes."
Councillor Lesley Macinnes
Transport and Environment Convener | The City of Edinburgh Council
The City of Edinburgh Council requires a complete refurbishment of one of Scotland's most iconic structures, which is rapidly deteriorating. We are working alongside Balfour Beatty to restore this landmark, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
After years of heavy use, exposure to the elements and limited maintenance due to poor access, the historic, Grade A-listed North Bridge is beginning to crumble.
Identifying a growing risk to both the railway underneath and passing pedestrians, the council opted to refurbish the three-arch bridge and install a permanent platform to improve the ease of future maintenance.
The project, awarded to Balfour Beatty by The City of Edinburgh Council, via the SCAPE Civil Engineering framework aims to repair, conserve and replace the historic structures supporting this landmark.
The iconic North Bridge is a three-span structure passing directly over Waverley Station and linking the Old and New Towns, which are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In its current form, the bridge was constructed circa 1895, and although remedial maintenance work has been completed over the years, this has been difficult due to access limitations.
To minimise the risk of falling debris, the first critical task will be to place crash decks under each of the bridge’s three spans, preventing anything from falling to the ground during the complex inspection and repair work that will take place.
The restoration and upgrades will be phased, and include:
- Structural steelwork repairs
- Grit blasting and repainting of the structural steelwork
- Repairs to the cast iron façades
- Repairs to the bridge’s concrete deck including a partial deck replacement
- Improvements to the structural drainage systems
- Replacement of expansion joints
- Restoration and repairs to the King’s Own Scottish Borders War Memorial which is located on the east plinth of the bridge’s south pier
- Installation of permanent platforms to improve access for future inspection and minor maintenance.
During enabling works, the latest technology has been used to maximise efficiency working closely with the council, an effective BIM Execution Plan (BEP) has been created. The existing structure has been 3D laser scanned, using drones, and modelled. This has informed decisions on buildability and clash detection, and the model will also help the council with planning and undertaking future maintenance on the bridge.
The focus on health and safety is of utmost importance, with ongoing toolbox talks, mobile apps and training to ensure the site team remain vigilant.
As with any project, there are many stakeholders that need to be kept updated, including the council, Historic Scotland, Network Rail and local businesses - regular communications are being circulated to keep all parties informed of the progress.
The council wants to extend the life of this historic bridge and create a structure that over the next 25 years will not require any further works, other than inspection and minor maintenance.
A key focus of the project is to remove the risk of any further objects falling from the underside of the bridge onto the railway and rail station below.
Additionally, the installation of the permanent maintenance access platforms will provide access for undertaking thorough inspection and maintenance – something that has not been possible until now.
Community benefits are an essential part of the project delivery, one of the main elements being education via engagement with, for example, schools and universities. There are also opportunities being provided by Balfour Beatty on placements and career support in the development of young people.
The bridge sits above a live railway station and railway lines, as well as Market Street, which carries both vehicles and pedestrians. The logistics of maintaining access to a complex live site such as this needs careful consideration and management throughout.
An access scaffold needs to be suspended from the existing bridge to enable works to be completed. This is a delicate balance of providing enough scaffold to deliver the works without putting too much strain on the existing structure.
Network Rail are kindly providing space for the works to be carried out as well allocating areas for the materials to be stored. The works are taking place above the live railway, which is particularly difficult as the works has to be carried out over 75 Nr 2hr night time possessions of the railway.
When completing the permanent works, the challenge will be weaving steelwork and other materials into and out of position through the temporary access scaffold and existing steel bridge – not an easy task, as there are 6,300 existing steel members in the bridge and approximately 250km of scaffold tubes, with 60,000 scaffold clips and 15,000 13ft scaffold boards.
Embedding Social Value
To create a lasting positive impact, the project team developed a social impact plan focused on engaging local schools, higher education, charities, and volunteer groups. So far, the team has:
- Engaged with approximately 1,400 individuals in various educational activities aimed at encouraging careers in the construction industry.
- A site visit was organised for 75 children in collaboration with Edinburgh schools and the Superpower Agency during an eight-week writing workshop. This project resulted in books based on the history and refurbishment of the iconic North Bridge, aimed at developing students' research, writing, and interpersonal skills.
- Worked with the Ukrainian Construction Academy and EVOC to offer work experience and specialised training to 3 Ukrainians for construction jobs.
- Raised £3,500 in the Edinburgh Kilomathon for the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, which aids construction workers and their families.
Cast repairs and carbon footprint savings
To minimise the project's carbon footprint, the project team have focused on reducing construction waste and carbon emissions, especially in energy-intensive tasks like producing steel and concrete. By opting to repair cast iron components instead of replacing them, a Comparative Life Cycle Assessment conducted with our specialised supply chain partners revealed an 89% reduction in carbon footprint.
By retaining 30% of the existing cast iron on the bridge and repairing 63% of the components, we further decreased embodied carbon. We also improved the façade to allow for movement and reduce stress-induced defects, reusing original materials to maintain the decorative features. Through detailed assessments, we maximized the use of the existing bridge fabric.
100%
local spend within 40 miles
61%
SME spend within 20 miles radius
22
local jobs created
£37 Million
Social Value spend
In collaboration with:

