E S one of the world’s great ports. great world’s the of one I D G

G L A S G O W ’ S C L Y D E B R

vessels into , which would become would which Glasgow, into vessels

and this heritage trail tells the story. the tells trail heritage this and

channel capable of receiving ocean-going receiving of capable channel

The Clyde bridges have bridged the years, the bridged have bridges Clyde The

was about to be transformed into a navigable a into transformed be to about was

Glasgow. engineering would flourish. The lower Clyde lower The flourish. would engineering

Clyde Arc, 2006 Arc, Clyde cities in Europe, the fourth largest was largest fourth the Europe, in cities 70 years, and when shipbuilding and heavy and shipbuilding when and years, 70 4 Kingston Bridge - 1970 8 1st 12 The City Union Railway 16 King’s Bridge - 1933

London, Paris and Berlin were the largest the were Berlin and Paris London,

when it would quadruple its population in population its quadruple would it when Engineer: W.A.Fairhurst & Partners Bridge - 1878 Bridge - 1899 Engineer: TPM Somers

half a million; six of them were in Britain. in were them of six million; a half At a width of 21m between parapets the In the 1850’s Glasgow was entering a period a entering was Glasgow 1850’s the In In 1967 work began on the Kingston Engineer: Blyth & Cunningham Engineer: William Melville

bridge has been described as being ‘so

the world with populations greater than greater populations with world the Bridge which was the second longest While the City of Glasgow Union Railway In 1900 the railway system was still

of 1851 in London’s Crystal Palace. Crystal London’s in 1851 of spanning pre-stressed concrete bridge flat and wide that one can easily cross

Empire’. In 1900 there were 23 cities in cities 23 were there 1900 In Empire’. had bridged the Clyde and had its expanding in with keen

was celebrated in the Great Exhibition Great the in celebrated was in Britain. It was opened in 1970 by the without noticing its existence’. Completed

to its claim to be ‘the second city of the of city second ‘the be to claim its to terminus on the north side (to become competition between the big companies.

mileage. This huge economic supremacy economic huge This mileage. Queen Mother and continues to carry in 1933, the bridge has four equal 21 metre

of its prosperity and influence, living up living influence, and prosperity its of St Enoch Station) in 1876, the Caledonian The two railway bridges across the Clyde

and contained half of the world’s railway world’s the of half contained and

on the south pier to allow passage for larger vessels. larger for passage allow to pier south the on spans comprising a series of rivetted

traffic on what is, at peak hours, one of Railway Company stopped at Bridge Around 1900 Glasgow reached the height the reached Glasgow 1900 Around were struggling to cope with traffic

pylon. The cable stayed spans can rotate horizontally rotate can spans stayed cable The pylon.

half of the world’s ocean-going ships ocean-going world’s the of half plate girders supporting a reinforced

the busiest sections of road in Europe. Street on the south side. Finally, in 1878, demands. The City Union Railway Bridge

are suspended by cable stays from a needle shaped needle a from stays cable by suspended are was within 10 years of its civil war. civil its of years 10 within was

of Europe put together. Britain owned Britain together. put Europe of concrete bridge deck. Each of the piers

The bridge has recently undergone a after paying £95,000 in compensation to opened in 1899 in response to the demand

site, Bell’s Bridge comprises three spans, two of which of two spans, three comprises Bridge Bell’s site,

into Japanese waters until 1853. The USA The 1853. until waters Japanese into divide at low level into arches which spring

million horsepower; more than the rest the than more horsepower; million programme of strengthening work to the Clyde Trustees, the first Caledonian to carry four tracks into St Enoch Station.

Conference Centre with the Garden Glasgow the with Centre Conference from deep foundations.

the first foreign squadron would not sail not would squadron foreign first the improve load carrying capacity. This

British steam engines could produce 1.2 produce could engines steam British Railway bridge in the centre of Glasgow

Constructed in 1988 to link the Scottish Exhibition & Exhibition Scottish the link to 1988 in Constructed entailed jacking the bridge up and moving It was built beneath the previous bridge Minister. Japan was still closed to the West; the to closed still was Japan Minister.

ten times as much as Germany. In 1851 In Germany. as much as times ten was built just downstream of Glasgow

Engineer: Crouch & Hogg & Crouch Engineer: the entire 52,000 tonne structure 50 mm so that the rail traffic could continue to 17 Bridge - 1955 and Sir Robert Peel was British Prime British was Peel Robert Sir and

; five times as much as the USA and USA the as much as times five iron; Bridge.

use the lines during construction. It is

Bell’s Bridge - 1988 - Bridge Bell’s

2 to the south. Engineer: Robert Bruce

commercial and leisure developments. leisure and commercial flood. The Napoleon dynasty ruled France ruled dynasty Napoleon The flood.

1851 Britain smelted 2.5 million tons of tons million 2.5 smelted Britain 1851 The bridge deck, which carried four tracks,

therefore rather squat in appearance. This Constructed in 1954-1955, Polmadie Bridge

south bank media village, residential, village, media bank south Crimea. The California gold rush was in full in was rush gold California The Crimea.

become the workshop of the world. In world. the of workshop the become was of construction

5 Proposed IFSD was the first of the permanent Clyde is a prestressed concrete footbridge. It the north bank developments and the and developments bank north the Watt lamp. Watt

peace, although soon to go to war in the in war to go to soon although peace,

built in the 1850’s. By then Britain had Britain then By 1850’s. the in built supported on Dalbeattie granite piers

Bridges to have a steel superstructure. occupies the site of a timber bridge which

public transport between the SECC and SECC the between transport public

power to open as is required to light a 100 a light to required is as open to power Footbridge - 2008 In 1850 the great world powers were at were powers world great the 1850 In

The oldest surviving Clyde Bridges were Bridges Clyde surviving oldest The founded on cylinders sunk into

The bridge served the main routes from was built in 1901, using timber salvaged bridge serves as a link, particularly for particularly link, a as serves bridge

bridge only requires the same amount of amount same the requires only bridge Engineer: Halcrow the river bed. Only the granite piers of this

the south to the now demolished St Enoch from a service bridge used during the SETTING THE SCENE THE SETTING rock some 30m below river bed level. The level. bed river below 30m some rock

fully piled foundations to bedrock. The bedrock. to foundations piled fully This footbridge is scheduled to be bridge remain visible, the tracks and girders

Station. construction of Glasgow Bridge. This bridge

river. Foundations are all fully piled to piled fully all are Foundations river. bridge is supported on supported is bridge

in the future. The The future. the in completed in late 2008. It links the having been removed in 1966 - 1967.

was burnt down and replaced at least once and welded together in place over the over place in together welded and

been designed to be made fixed if required if fixed made be to designed been successful International Financial Services

before being replaced by the present in three sections off site from steel plate steel from site off sections three in

27 and 8 metres. The centre span has span centre The metres. 8 and 27 District (IFSD) with newly developing

9 Glasgow Bridge - 1899 concrete construction. arch is a diamond section box fabricated box section diamond a is arch

is 38metres and the side spans are 26, 27, 26, are spans side the and 38metres is bridges Tradeston area on the south bank. Engineer: Blyth & Westland deck with in-situ concrete stitches. The stitches. concrete in-situ with deck

from steel hollow sections. The main span main The sections. hollow steel from It is a balanced cantilever design primarily This bridge stands at the foot of Jamaica 18 Bridge - 1896

act compositely with the steel plate girder plate steel the with compositely act

bottom boom member and are fabricated are and member boom bottom in steel with a 48 metre main span and Street, on the site of an earlier Glasgow deck was precast off site and made to made and site off precast was deck trusses of triangular section with a single a with section triangular of trusses Engineer: Crouch & Hogg

two 25 metre side spans. The steel fins Bridge which was designed by the Scottish metres. Much of the reinforced concrete reinforced the of Much metres. of vessels. The bridge is made of lattice of made is bridge The vessels. of This bridge, with three spans of 28, 30 amd

form the main structural support function engineer Thomas Telford, first president with two side approach spans of 36.5 of spans approach side two with clyde powered lifting leaves to allow the passage the allow to leaves lifting powered 28 metres, was designed at a time when

and by placing these elements above of the Institution of Civil Engineers. The main tied bowstring arch is 96 metre span metre 96 is arch bowstring tied main centre span comprising twin hydraulically twin comprising span centre masonry arches were becoming outmoded -

deck, the deck’s structural thickness can desire for a wider crossing, the deepening landing points on the south side. The side. south the on points landing five spans, four of which are fixed and the and fixed are which of four spans, five the age of steel had begun. Foundation

be reduced while the visual interest of of the river by intermittent dredging, and was dictated by the availability of suitable of availability the by dictated was the north bank and the GSC. It comprises It GSC. the and bank north the techniques were however up to date, and the

the structure is enhanced. The piers the removal of the weir above Albert Bridge

a significantly skewed alignment which alignment skewed significantly a Centre to further improve links between links improve further to Centre piers were founded on steel caissons sunk to

in 1880, all conspired against the old bridge

glasgow’s comprise precast concrete shells infilled is unusual in that it crosses the river on river the crosses it that in unusual is bridge was built by the Glasgow Science Glasgow the by built was bridge rock level by a combination of dead weight

with concrete and are supported on and in 1899, after many schemes had been The bridge was completed in 2006 and 2006 in completed was bridge The Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund the Fund Lottery Heritage the by Funded and men hand digging inside a chamber of

tubular steel piles founded on rock. considered, a replacement bridge was Engineer: Halcrow Engineer: Engineer: M G Bennett Associates Bennett G M Engineer: compressed air. The men worked three shifts

built. By popular demand, this seven span

13 of eight hours each, in chambers lit by candles, - 2006 - Arc Clyde 3 Millennium Bridge - 2002 - Bridge Millennium 1 The double curved alignment of the bridge masonry arch, was designed as a replica makes the river crossing more interesting, until the caissons reached a solid foundation of Telford’s bridge, although 6m wider and while the extra length this provides allows 18m below river level. founded on steel caissons up to 30m deep. 13 Albert Bridge - 1871 the necessary clearance over the Engineer: Bell & Miller A previous Rutherglen bridge, of five span navigation channel to be achieved without The piers and abutments are founded on masonry arch design, was built in 1774-

the gradient on the bridge being too steep. 10 South Portland Street O G S W A L ’ G S

C

L Y

D

E

B concrete filled cast iron caissons, sunk R 1775. Its engineer is reputed to have been I D G E

S Suspension Bridge - 1853 some 86ft below water level. Traditional , developer of the steam engine, 6 George the Fifth Bridge - Engineer: George Martin masonry was rejected in favour of rivetted during his early years as a civil engineer. 1928 This bridge was begun in 1851 and wrought iron elliptical arches, the largest suffered a set-back during its of which spans 35m. The arch ribs are Engineer: Considère Constructions Ltd 19 1st Railway construction. After the masonry towers masked by cast iron spandrels adorned George the Fifth Bridge had been planned Bridge - 1861 had been completed and the main with the Royal coat of arms, the coat of to be built at the foot of Oswald Street in suspension chains erected, the south arms of Prince Albert and those of various Engineer: George Graham 1914 but war delayed construction for 10 tower split from top to bottom. The Greek corporate bodies. This is the fifth bridge Built for the Caledonian Railway Company years and it finally opened in 1928. triumphal arch towers now seen in the on the site, the previous longest surviving between 1859 and 1861, this bridge carried Although the bridge appears to be a three bridge were the result of a substantial being a masonry arch bridge designed the twin tracks of the Dalmarnock Branch span masonry arch bridge, it is in this re-build. by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of line over the Clyde. The bridge was a seven respect a fraud. The granite masonry is span structure supported on concrete filled In 1870 the bridge closed for extensive Robert Louis Stevenson. facing to a three span reinforced concrete cast iron cylinders. The three river spans were repairs. The chains and deck were box girder construction. Each pier is of bowstring construction, whilst the four completely removed; the wrought iron 14 Tidal Weir and Pipe Bridge founded on four cylindrical concrete land spans were of plate web construction. bars forming the chains were re-headed caissons. These were floated into position - 1901 (rebuilt 1949) Only the piers of the bridge remain. and settled onto the river bed on the ebb and additional bars provided, the timber Engineer: FGM Stoney tide. The caissons were then sunk to their deck was replaced by wrought iron The debate on weirs on the Clyde has 20 2nd Dalmarnock Railway framework, and the deck profile was final positions by removing their temporary raged since the first was constructed to Bridge - 1897 bottoms and excavating down to a solid lowered by about 2m. The deck and protect the foundations of the Broomielaw foundation beneath the river bed. hangers were again substantially renewed Bridge in 1772. In the 19th century Engineer: George Graham in 1926, and the hangers replaced once eminent engineers argued forcefully for In 1893 powers were granted to widen the 7 more in 2004. However, the masonry and against a weir. From 1851 to 1880 a Dalmarnock Branch line, but instead of towers remain as originally built in 1853, weir with a lock stood on this site. widening the existing bridge, a new one and are therefore the oldest surviving was built upstream. Completed in 1897, the elements in Glasgow’s Clyde bridges. The first tidal weir was completed in 1901, new twin track bridge was subsequently and remained until scour undermined an widened to three tracks in 1923, giving a 11 Victoria Bridge - 1854 abutment foundation in 1941 leading to total of five tracks over the Clyle at this Engineer: James Walker collapse. The present steel structure, location. Evidence of the widening can be which also carries large diameter pipes Glasgow’s oldest surviving complete Clyde seen in the girder spacing and the across the Clyde, was completed in 1949 bridge is Victoria Bridge, lying at the foot construction joints in the piers. as part of the scheme to replace the of Stockwell Street. Bishop’s Bridge, its earlier weir. Today the primary purpose 500 year old predecessor on the same 21 Dalmarnock Bridge - 1891 of the weir is to maintain the upstream glasgow’s site, had become too restrictive for the Engineer: Crouch & Hogg water levels for environmental and leisure growing demands of traffic; by 1851 This bridge is located close to the original 7 2nd Caledonian Railway purposes. Glasgow’s population had risen to 329,000 Dalmarnock Ford, and is the furthest east of Bridge - 1905 having doubled in the previous 25 years. all the Glasgow bridges on this trail. In 1821

4809 15 St Andrew’s Suspension clyde Engineer: Donald A.Matheson & Sir A new 18m wide five span masonry arch a timber ‘pay’ bridge was built for traffic John Wolfe Barry bridge was designed, with foundations Bridge - 1856 between Dalmarnock on the north side and The Caledonian Railway Company was 6m below those of the old bridge, and Engineer: Neil Robson Rutherglen on the south, including traffic to keen to develop, and in 1905 the ‘New timber piles which were steam-driven a The chains and deck are wrought iron, the old Dalmarnock Pit. A replacement timber bridges Clyde Viaduct’ was opened alongside the further 4m below that. When the bridge the pylons cast iron, each with four fluted bridge was built in 1848. first bridge, giving a total of 13 tracks into opened in 1854, Glasgow had the two Corinthian columns almost 6 metres high. The present bridge, built in 1891, was the Central Station. At one time it was the widest bridges in Britain - London’s widest Its construction was promoted by Bailie first ‘flat’ bridge in Glasgow with five spans widest railway-over-river-bridge in the at that time was only 16m. Harvey for the safer passage of factory of about 18.5 metres. The piers are founded design and production: hatch design 0141 771 country. Steel lattice girders, spanning The Institution of Civil Engineers gratefully acknowledges the support of Victoria Bridge is built on the site of the workers who had previously used a ferry on concrete filled wrought iron cylinders, up to 59m sit on granite piers founded at in the publication of this leaflet. first recorded bridge over the Clyde; a at the same location; “in time of spate a terminating on the bedrock 20 metres depth on rectangular steel caissons. The timber bridge believed to exist in 1285 scene of great excitement”. below the river bed. The bridge deck was bridge cost £200,000 with a further and described as “Glaskow bryg, that replaced in 1997 with weather resistant ICE Scotland £75,000 being paid in compensation to In 1997 the parapets and timber decking 105 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1QL byggyt was of tre” in Henry the Minstrel’s steel beams and a reinforced concrete the Clyde Trustees. Before opening it was were replaced, and the ornamental cast t: 0141 221 5276 heritage trail epic poem on Sir William Wallace. iron features of the Corinthian columns deck slab. The refurbishment utilised the e: [email protected] load tested with 19 locomotives. www.ice-eastofscotland.org.uk refurbished. Repainting and landscaping original cast iron gothic arcading parapets www.ice-westofscotland.org.uk works emphasised the St Andrew’s theme. and ornamental outer beam fascia panels. Registered Charity Number: 210252 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Exhibition Station M8 Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Central Clydeside Expressway Station Glasgow’s Station 1 St Enoch clyde 2 Crane Science S Argyle Street Argyle Street Centre Lancefield Quay Station 3 Broomielaw 7 Clyde Street 4 5 6 9 8 trail guide 10 Stockwell Street bridges 8

Bridge Street 11 12 13 14 Street Sheriff Courts

Laureston Road

Ballater Street 15

Bridgeton

Kings Drive Cross Station 16 1 Millennium Bridge Glasgow Green 9 10 11 2 Bell’s Bridge 12 13 3 Clyde Arc 17 Dalmarnock 4 Kingston Bridge Station Richmond Park 5 Site of new IFSD Tradeston Footbridge 18 6 George the Fifth Bridge

7 2nd Caledonian Railway Bridge 21 20 8 1st Caledonian Railway Bridge (1878 - 1966) 19 9 Glasgow Bridge 14 15 16 17 10 South Portland Street Suspension Bridge Reflecting on Glasgow’s Clyde Bridges 11 Victoria Bridge 12 City Union Railway Bridge The story of Glasgow’s Clyde Bridges in many ways It also reflects the story of civil engineering. 13 Albert Bridge reflects the development of Glasgow. Glasgow may Developments in engineering materials and 14 Tidal Weir and Pipe Bridge not have grown beyond a quiet monastery town had knowledge can be traced in the techniques used clydeit not also been the lowest fordable point on the to construct the Clyde bridges. Timber and stone, 15 St Andrew’s Suspension Bridge Clyde. As the city flourished in the 18th and 19th cast iron, wrought iron and steel, reinforced and 16 King’s Bridge centuries, the demands for better communications pre-stressed concrete, were all used in Glasgow’s 17 Polmadie Bridge 18 19 resulted in bridges being built which, in turn, Clyde bridges. Virtually all bridge types are encouraged further trade and prosperity. So bridges represented on the Clyde; the beam, beam and slab 18 Rutherglen Bridge both nurtured and reflected the growth of the city. (with solid girders, lattice girders or box girders), 19 1st Dalmarnock Railway Bridge (1861 - 1897) The story of Glasgow’s bridges also reflects the story the arch, the tied bowstring arch, the suspension 20 2nd Dalmarnock Railway Bridge bridge, the cable stayed bridge and the balanced of transportation, from the pedestrian and horse 21 Dalmarnock Bridge traffic of the bridgesmiddle ages, through railway mania in cantilever. A walk from the Millennium Bridge to the 19th century, and the 20th century age of the Dalmarnock Bridge will take you past exhibits of About the Heritage Trail more than 150 years of bridge engineering history. motor car, onwards into the new millennium. • Approximately 2 1 / 2 hours should be allowed for the walk from Millennium Bridge to Dalmarnock Bridge • Trains run between Dalmarnock Station and Exhibition Station approximately every 15 minutes. 20 21 • The trail is waymarked by the symbol