River Clyde bridge design pays homage to shipbuilding

The final design of a pedestrian bridge across the River Clyde in Glasgow pays homage to the city’s shipbuilding heritage.

The crossing – which will connect Govan and Partick between Water Row and Pointhouse Quay – will be supported by a 28.5m tower that “seeks to evoke” the cranes of the historic shipyard while “reflecting the contemporary form” of the nearby Riverside Museum.

The final design has been completed and released ahead of virtual reality tours next week showcasing the proposal to the public.

Final design: Glasgow City Council hopes the bridge will be open by 2022. GCC

Designers have opted for a cable-stayed swing bridge to withstand strong winds.

The bridge deck will be 115m long with a rotating central span of 68m, making it one of the largest opening footbridges in Europe.

While people crossed the river at this location for hundreds of years, they have been unable to do so for almost the entire period since ferry services ended in the 1960s.

The deck – which will be eight metres wide – will have step-free access making it usable for those in wheelchairs or with buggies. Cyclists will also be able to use the crossing.

Headroom of nearly five metres above high water will allow smaller vessels to pass under the bridge when closed.

The bridge will take a few minutes to move to the open position, which will then provide a navigational channel of 50m maintaining access for larger vessels including the Waverley.

In addition, it will also connect with a new footbridge across the River Kelvin which will be provided by Glasgow Harbour Limited as a condition of their proposed development.

This will provide a new route to Partick Interchange, the fifth-busiest transport hub in Scotland.

The bridge will also link to an improved walking/cycling route up Ferry Road/Bunhouse Road towards Partick Cross and the University Campus.

Bridge: The crossing will connect Govan and Partick. GCC

One of the aims of the bridge is to help create a “cultural quarter”, connecting visitor attractions such as the Riverside and Kelvingrove museums with Govan Old Parish Church and Fairfield Heritage Centre.

The idea for the bridge, funded by the £114m Glasgow City Region City Deal, emerged from public meetings held in 2015 to discuss the regeneration of Govan and Partick.

The council will seek permission to build the bridge in 2020 and construction could start in 2021.

The bridge, designed by Jacobs, is expected to open in 2022 and will become a focal point of the multi-million pound redevelopment of Water Row being taken forward by the council in partnership with Govan Housing Association.

Virtual reality tours of the bridge will take place on Tuesday at the Riverside Museum between 10am and 12pm and at The Govan Cross Shopping Centre between 2pm and 4pm.