The Govan-Partick Bridge is a new bridge under construction in Glasgow, Scotland, across the River Clyde, close to the Riverside Museum.[1] To allow ships past, its swing bridge main span can rotate to align with the south shore.
The 110-metre bridge[2] will carry pedestrians and bicycles between Govan south of the river and Partick to the north.[3] The V-shaped pylon design is inspired by the historic cranes at the riverside. It will be one of the largest opening footbridges in Europe.[2]
The work is intended to improve the economic conditions in Govan (which is a deprived area of the city) and is linked to the Glasgow University and Glasgow City Council-led 'West End Innovation Quarter'. The bridge will land at Water Row in Govan where a mixed use development of housing and commercial space is planned.
Funded through City Deal, the Glasgow City Council led project was expected to start in 2020, with the bridge to open in summer 2021.[2] In February 2020, the final plans for the bridge were revealed with an updated opening year of 2022.[4] After further delays, construction finally began in January 2022, and is currently expected to complete by spring 2024.[5]
The cafe on the second floor of the Riverside Museum has had a clear unobstructed view over the northern approach works area at the mouth of the River Kelvin to the site of the new bridge.[6]
The bridge was built in Belgium, taken by canal to Westdorpe in the Netherlands, where the pylon and cabling was installed. It was loaded onto HEBO Maritiemservice pontoon Hebo-P84, and from 7 to 13 October towed by tugElisa to the Firth of Clyde. They were met at the Tail of the Bank by Clyde Marine Services tugs CMS Wrestler and Bruiser. Delivery was postponed due to strong gusting wind, and the vessels stayed at Greenock Ocean Terminal overnight.[7]
On 14 October the tugs towed the crane on its pontoon up the River Clyde into Glasgow,[8] to Pointhouse Quay just upriver from the museum. They moored the pontoon just past floating sheerleg crane Hebo-Lift 10 which was already there, along with the small tug Avontuur 2. On 17 October the floating sheerleg crane lifted the moving main span of the bridge into place on its pivot in front of Water Row, Govan, leaving it aligned with the shore so that the Clyde remains open to shipping.[9] Site work continued. The connecting fixed span, still on the pontoon, was taken away for storage. It is to be installed in the summer of 2024, when the north pier and approach path works are complete.[10]
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