ALMOST 70 road bridges in Glasgow fail to meet European standards.

A new report reveals it could cost the city council up to £100million to carry out all the repairs needed.

But the alternative could be major traffic problems, with weight limits and diversions imposed on almost one-third of the bridges in the city. The latest study by Audit Scotland shows Glasgow almost bottom of the league table measuring the state of repair of the nation's bridges.

All but one of Scotland's 32 local authorities were involved in the study.

The report is due to go before the city council's Executive Committee tomorrow. It reveals that of the 301 bridges which carry roads in the city, 251 have been assessed to ensure they meet European standards for load carrying capacity. Sixty-nine failed.

Under legislation, the responsibility lies with the city council of meeting EU standards of being able to carry 44 tonnes, while Network Rail only has to ensure they can carry 17 tonnes.

With the council left to foot the bill, this has prompted a renewed call for more cash from the Scottish Executive.

Councillors will now have to decide if £660,000 can be set aside in the current financial year to deal with the priority problems on main arterial routes.

The recent £6million rebuild of the Titwood Bridge between Pollokshields and Shawlands, in Glasgow's South Side, brought months of traffic chaos for city commuters, but it had to be replaced to meet EU regulations.

Bob Booth, city council head of roads, said: "Sixty-nine bridges have failed to meet the standard and potentially this could reduce the effectiveness of the road network."

Mr Booth said the other 50 bridges were being checked, and added that Glasgow was propping up the national league table because of its traffic volumes.