Clydebank-Renfrew swing bridge plans brought forward
October 28 2016
A key plank of the £1.13bn Glasgow and Clyde Valley City Deal the infrastructure link is being led by Renfrewshire Council to connect both banks of the River Clyde between Ferry Road and Inchinnan Road.
Designed to minimize its footprint within the river and surrounding floodplain it is intended that the bridge will accommodate pedestrian and cycle traffic using a design which ‘fits aesthetically’ with the surrounding landscape.
Adopting a ‘twin leaf’ design the connection would allow river traffic to flow unimpeded post-construction with a span of 90m when opened.
In their report Sweco said: “The bridge will span the navigation channel with a span(s) which will rotate through 90 degrees horizontally so that in its open position the opening span is parallel with the river. A back span acting as a counterweight to the opening span(s) will also be required.
“The main opening span and back spans will consist of two steel box girder decks with a spine (probably of steel trussed construction with cladding) with the counterweight behind a pivot axis within the deck construction. The bridge will be supported on piled reinforced concrete piers and abutments.”
To facilitate the new link some 2km of new single carriageway road will be constructed to plug into the existing road network.
The new bridge will replace a discontinued ferry service
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6 Comments
#1 Posted by monkey9000 on 28 Oct 2016 at 16:07 PM
I would guess the word "Elegance" does not feature in Sweco's design vocabulary?
#2 Posted by Finbar on 28 Oct 2016 at 17:32 PM
Ain't no artist touched this one UR...ooft
#3 Posted by Graeme McCormick on 29 Oct 2016 at 19:43 PM
A missed opportunity. Here is the Clyde's opportunity to do a 21st century rival to Tower Bridge on the Thames especially when one considers the Disneyesque spire of Renfrew Town Hall and its historical position as the cradle of the Stewart Dynasty
#4 Posted by Tara on 31 Oct 2016 at 10:35 AM
Graeme McCormick - a bridge linking two rather gloomy bits of the clyde is hardly comparable to Tower Bridge. You aren't going to get 1000's of tourists taking selfies of themselves capturing the visit towards Renfrew (unless you pay them). Yoker and Renfrew ain't exactly on the map... A link is welcome..but lets not exaggerate what it is or has the potential to be. If you want to talk missed opportunities, lets look at the horrible squinty bridge or the pedestrian bridge in town that looks like it was ordered from a catalogue...t
#5 Posted by Kaz on 31 Oct 2016 at 11:51 AM
Hopefully planning permission will be rejected for this bridge. The traffic in Renfrew town is already a nightmare and taking this road directly on to Inchinnan Road is bonkers all that traffic corralled on to the aging Inchinnan Swing Bridge will be a disaster. Obviously a rotating bridge will cause noise and vibrations which could be detrimental to the listed Ferry Inn pub as well as the other homes nearby. Taking the road through the nearby woodland and disturbing the wildlife alone should hit this application back into the bin where it belongs.
#6 Posted by Clive on 3 Nov 2016 at 07:32 AM
The UK has some wonderful bridge designers. This clearly isn't one of them.
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