Railway Bridge, Glenville Road, Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, BT37

Railway Bridge, Glenville Road

This railway bridge exemplifies the distinctive utilitarian style of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (Northern Counties Committee) and derives considerable significance from its association with the 1930s Greenisland Loop Scheme, the largest civil engineering project of its era. The scheme provided much-needed employment during construction. This bridge forms part of a remarkable group of three bridges in very close proximity to one another along Glenville Road, all distinctive features of the streetscape. It also has functional and group value associations with two viaducts at Bleach Green Junction, a short distance to the north. Together, these structures form an uncommon and noteworthy group of original and unaltered concrete constructions that eloquently express their time and function.

The bridge is a skew single-span structure of painted reinforced concrete, cast in situ throughout, carrying the double-track Belfast-Londonderry railway over Glenville Road, which includes two footpaths, one of which is raised. The arch is of three-centred profile, over which sits a banded reveal of shallow segmental profile. The parapets feature recessed rectangular panels and carry the date 1932 on the middle of their outside faces. The bank retaining walls on both sides have banded rustication and slightly advanced copings; they merge seamlessly with the wing walls of the adjoining bridges. As this line runs at a higher level than those adjoining, the bridge is consequently slightly elevated. The line continues across the Three Mile Water on viaduct HB21/10/001A.

Historical context

When the Belfast-Ballymena railway opened in 1848, the line ran via Greenisland to avoid the expense of constructing a massive viaduct across the valley of the Three Mile Water, here known as Valentine's Glen. This routing required trains to reverse between Greenisland and Antrim and added considerably to journey time. In the early 1930s, the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (Northern Counties Committee) embarked on construction of a viaduct across the glen to eliminate the Greenisland detour and reduce journey time by 20-25 minutes. The Greenisland Loop Scheme, as it was known, involved construction of this bridge and four others at the Whiteabbey end, plus four further structures en route to Monkstown. The project cost £250,000 (approximately £12 million in today's values) and was directed by the NCC's Resident Engineer W.K. Wallace. It also served as a job creation scheme, removing 550 men from social security. Although the scheme was not opened until January 1934, this particular bridge was constructed in 1932 to carry the Belfast-Londonderry up and down lines.

In 1999, Translink undertook repairs to the bridge as part of the reopening of the Belfast-Antrim line, which had closed to passenger traffic in 1978. Work comprised blast cleaning, repairs to the concrete, waterproofing and painting. The line reopened in June 2001.