Waterworks for Westway Tenants (May 2009)
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Commercial traffic has returned to the River Cart for the first time in decades following a successful trial by Westway tenant, Steel Engineering.
In the trial, the river, which runs alongside the park, was used to transport barges loaded with huge steel spools weighing 80 tonnes, for the first leg of their 600-mile journey around the coast of Scotland to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The size and shape of the goods prevent them from being transported to their final destination by road.
There are further plans for significant investment to refurbish the dock working with Renfrewshire Council to improve navigability along the Cart. In addition to being the first company to take advantage of the new access route, Steel Engineering carried out much of the refurbishment work on the River Cart’s Grade-A listed Bascule bridge, enabling it to be raised drawbridge-style for the first time in many years and for the barge to pass through.
Speaking about the new access route, Mark Holmes of Moorfield Group said: “It is great to see the River Cart being used for commercial traffic once again. We believe that it will become a real asset to existing local businesses, as well as promoting inward investment.”
