EXTENSIVE work on the Boleside Road footbridge in Galashiels has now been completed.

The local authority closed the former railway structure in early 2021 and instigated an ownership search.

Many parts of the footbridge were severely corroded, so all the original paint had to be removed.

Victorian paint contained high levels of lead, so the bridge was covered to protect passers-by and the surrounding environment from contamination.

Border Telegraph: Boleside Road Footbridge Photo National Highways

The heavily-corroded steel floor plates were also replaced with a safer, anti-slip steel tread, and the corroded sections of the bridge were replaced with a low-carbon steel.

The footbridge is one of 574 former railway structures National Highways care for in Scotland including the Teviot Viaduct.

The railway opened in 1849 and formed the first part of the line from Edinburgh to Carlisle.

Through Galashiels, the line became known as the Waverley Route to reflect the enormous popularity at the time of Sir Walter Scott’s novels.

In 1856 this branch line, the Selkirk and Galashiels Railway, opened to Selkirk.

This ornate and elegant steel footbridge was most likely installed to improve access from the developing areas of housing in the area.

The Selkirk line was closed to passenger transport in 1951 though the footbridge has remained in use and gained in popularity with the increase in housing east of Abbotsford Road.

Colin McNicol, Historical Railways Estate engineer, said: "This cherished footbridge has a rich history, and we are committed to restoring it for safe use by the public again.

“Our repair work will not only extend its life but secure this listed structure’s long-term future.

“The footbridge was used as part of a popular riverside walk, and we hope people will get to enjoy those walks again in time for Christmas."