Renfrewshire Council believes it is covered by insurance for the damage inflicted on Renfrew Bridge during Storm Boelo, which has forced the crossing to close for months.
The local authority has been receiving legal and insurance advice after water ingress at one of the bridge's two plant rooms caused significant damage.
Council Confirms Dual Insurance Cover
Mark Conaghan, head of corporate governance, told a special council meeting on Monday that the bridge is effectively insured twice. He said: "There are ongoing meetings with the contractors and also our insurers who insure us against damage to property."
"The bridge is effectively insured twice. We are insured for matters arising from defects and we are insured in more general terms against general damage, so that includes weather-related damage," he added.
Investigations Into Root Cause Continue
Mr Conaghan noted that the exact cause of the water ingress remains under investigation. He said: "It does complicate matters because we are having to deal with two insurers, rather than one, and there will obviously be discussions as to which of those two insurers are ultimately liable."
The 184-metre twin-leaf bridge across the River Clyde, linking Renfrew with Yoker, marked its one-year anniversary in May. The council confirmed on October 28 that it needed to close to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians during a period of investigation and remediation.
Plant Room Damage Details
A report to last Wednesday's infrastructure, land and environment policy board explained that only the plant room on the Renfrew side sustained water ingress. The plant rooms house the electronic systems controlling the bridge hydraulics, which have suffered significant water damage.
The bridge is within its two-year defects period, and a contractual instruction has been issued for the contractor to identify any defects responsible for the water ingress. Officers advised that investigations have commenced, with further specialist investigations taking place this week.
Mr Conaghan concluded: "From what I can see, we absolutely are in a position where we are covered for the damage but we just have to establish what the root cause of that was to decide which insurance policy is at play."
