ENGINEERS have constructed a “cow flyover” to tackle human traffic jams at one of Scotland’s biggest outdoor shows.
In the past thousands of visitors to the Royal Highland Show near Edinburgh have had to wait while pedestrian walkways are closed to let cattle into the main show ring.
This year’s event, which is expected to attract almost 200,000 visitors over four days, features a concrete overpass capable of supporting beasts weighing almost a tonne.
The structure, which even features a stone “farm track” to make the creatures feel at home, should keep cows and customers moving freely.
Iain Cram, Director at Bell Ingram Design who created the bridge, said: “It’s fair to say that it’s not every day you get asked to design a flyover for large numbers of prizewinning livestock.
“This commission was all about creating a better user experience for the thousands of people who visit the Royal Highland Show.
“The project is more than a little different to the norm, so is not without its challenges. For example, we were very concerned to be sure that the animals would be happy to use the flyover.
“So we have had to take this into consideration and designed the ground of the crossing as a stone farm track, so that it feels natural under hoof.
“This is unusual and significant win for Bell Ingram and we were very excited to work Alltec Construction to complete the works.”
Willie Gill, Chairman of The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, said the underpass was part of a £1.6m investment of improvements for this year’s show.
He said: “By improving the flow of livestock and people through the showground, everyone’s experience is improved greatly.”
The Royal Highland Show is Scotland’s will take place from 23-26 June 2016 at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston.
The event attracts over 1,000 exhibitors, 4,500 heads of livestock and up to 190,000 visitors annually.
