Bridges over The River Clyde

ST ANDREW'S FOOTBRIDGE.

*

One of the finest examples of wrought iron suspension bridge design in Scotland is the St Andrew's Footbridge.
Every aspect of the spanning structure is built from wrought iron, including the deck structure, suspension bars and the 20ft pylons on either bank.
Each pylon support comprises four beautifully detailed Corinthian columns with the wrought iron lamp posts doubling as gate posts to close the bridge at either end.
It spans 220ft across the River Clyde, from the bottom of McNeil Street in Hutchesontown on the south side of the river to the south eastern corner of Glasgow Green on the north.
It was built between 1854 and 1855 by the engineer Neil Robson and its design has been little altered since.
The 13ft wide bridge was built to replace a busy ferry crossing that had long been the only means of crossing the river this far up from the city centre of Glasgow.
However, as more and more people started to live on the south side of the river, it was decided that a bridge would better serve the population.
And unlike other bridge proposals around this time, river traffic would not be impeded this far up river.
The bridge's location made it an ideal and free method to convey workers between the Gorbals area and Calton and Bridgeton.
Fifteen years after the bridge was first opened it had to be closed to allow essential maintenance and repair work to be carried out, but it was soon reopened to pedestrian traffic.

*

Take me back to the INDEX page please.

Take me back