IT has taken years of wrangling and cost in the region of
£7million. But now the latest bridge to span the River Clyde has
been revealed in all its "squiggly" glory.
Planners hope the new pedestrian crossing - linking Broomielaw
and Tradeston - will go a long way towards breathing new life into
one of the most rundown parts of Glasgow.
The structure was lowered into place section by section in
December and since then workers have painted it, fitted handrails,
fins and floodlights and carried out welding work.
It was wrapped in tarpaulin but earlier this week the covers
came off revealing the dramatic bridge design.
Officially known as the Tradeston-Broomielaw Bridge, its
distinctive S-shape has led Glaswegians to dub it the Squiggly
Bridge.
The Clyde Arc further down river has become known affectionately
as the Squinty Bridge.
Delays and arguments over cost have dogged the bridge project
since its outset.
The original plans were designed by Richard Rodgers, the man
behind the Millennium Dome in London but was scrapped when costs
spiralled to more than £60m.
Councillors went back to the drawing board and in 2006 it was
announced Edmund Nuttall, the firm which built the Squinty Bridge,
had won the contract for the new crossing.
A council spokesman said the cost of the new bridge was roughly
£7m.
It is part of a wider project to regenerate the entire
Broomielaw and Tradeston site - including reinforcing the quay
wall, providing access roads, drainage, and ground works - which is
capped at £33million.
The spokesman said some work had still to be done and that the
bridge was expected to open by late April or early May.
He added: "While the covers that were in place to protect the
public and the surrounding environment during shot blasting are no
longer required, the bridge is still very much a construction site
at this stage.
"But the project is an essential component of the development
programme for the Tradeston area and the wider regeneration of the
Clyde, so it is obviously exciting to see it a step nearer to
completion."
Mark Barton, marketing manager of Clyde Waterfront, the body
which is overseeing the regeneration of Clydeside, thinks the
bridge looks "terrific".
He said: "I think it will be a great boost to the area. It looks
very nice particularly if you line up on either side of it so you
can appreciate the squiggle.
"I do think its shape is appealing and quite impressive if you
are looking directly on to it. The hope is that this will make the
waterfront area a much more thriving and vibrant place.
"There are plans afoot to have retail and leisure pavilions
along the Broomielaw.
"Hopefully in the warmer months and longer days people will come
out of their offices in the International Financial Services
District and come down to the riverside.
"The long-term vision for Tradeston is that it becomes quite a
cosmopolitan quarter again.
"We hope the bridge will act as a real catalyst for stimulating
much more footfall and leisure time spent in that area."
The first locals saw of the new bridge - which will carry
pedestrians and cyclists - was when supports were built late last
year.
Then sections of deck, manufactured by contractor RBG in
Invergordon, were carried upriver by barge from the Glasgow Science
Centre and lowered into place by crane.
The seven sections - each 17 yards long and weighing 25 tonnes -
were then welded together. Pylons and fins were put in place to
support the structure.
Tradeston is set to be transformed out of all recognition.
A new housing and retail development is to be built around the
historic Beco building - a former warehouse which is now listed by
Historic Scotland.
Irish property developers Noel and John Smyth - the men behind
the rejuvenation of Dublin's docklands - hope to revive the
fortunes of Tradeston in the same way.
The bridge will provide a link from Tradeston to the city centre
and apartment blocks, offices, shops, restaurants, bars, a creche
and a fitness suite are planned for the south side of the
river.
It is expected the entire project on the public realm works on
the Broomielaw and at Tradeston will be completed by spring of next
year.
Reproduced with the permission of the Herald & Times
Group.