THE main span of Glasgow’s Govan – Partick Bridge arrived at Yorkhill Quay on Saturday (October 14) after sailing up the River Clyde at Yorkhill.
After being constructed in Belgium, the bridge span was transported along canals to Holland at which point the pylon and cabling was installed prior to it sailing from Westdorpe on October 7 to the Clyde estuary.
The bridge span is six metres wide and was fabricated in two parts – the moving span, which weighs 650 tonnes, is 99 metres long and which will use the South Pier (at Water Row) as its access; and the fixed span, which weighs 45 tonnes and is 15.7 metres long.
Weather permitting, the moving span will be put in place on 17 October after a set-up period for the lifting crane. The fixed span will be kept in storage until works on the North Pier and northern approach works are complete, and then installed in the summer of 2024 to complete the project.
In addition to the construction of the fabricated steel cable stayed opening swing bridge, the £29.5 million project – which began in April 2022 and is being led by Farrans Construction – will also feature the demolition of a section of masonry/concrete quay wall and access stairs at Water Row; construction of a sheet piled quay wall and Infilling to finished ground level to extend Pointhouse Quay to form the north bridge landing, access ramp and public realm; construction of a reinforced concrete abutment/quay wall and Infilling of the disused Govan Ferry Inlet at Water Row in Govan to form the south landing; construction of bridge approach ramps, retaining walls, provision of drainage and public realm at the north and south bridge landings; bridge and public realm statutory and feature lighting; diversion of the Scottish Water Combined Sewer Outfall at Pointhouse Quay; and installation of timber fenders and access for a layby berth at Merklands Quay.
Glasgow City Council said 143 construction jobs are being supported through the project, with ‘significant’ community benefits being delivered – including starts for 11 new employees; five new apprentices and a new graduate; school mentoring, work placement, volunteering and work experience opportunities; business mentoring opportunities and supply chain briefings; and community engagement from the contractors, with both financial and non-financial support for local projects.
The local authority added that the Govan – Partick Bridge is key to, and complements, public and private sector investments such as the £38 million UK Government strength in places funding to help the University of Glasgow develop the Clyde Waterfront Innovation Campus next to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital; the ongoing Water Row (housing and commercial) development; and proposals for more than 1,000 homes at Yorkhill Quay.
Following construction of the bridge, it is expected that there will be 23% increase in jobs that are accessible within a 20-minute walk of Govan Cross and an 87% increase in the number of jobs within a 10-minute cycle of Govan Cross.
Councillor Susan Aitken, chair of the Glasgow city region cabinet, said, “The arrival of the main span of the Govan-Partick Bridge is a major milestone for the project and a remarkable sight on the Clyde. When complete, the bridge will benefit those visiting, living and working in Govan and Partick, but also the entirety of the city and wider region. The creation of an active travel connection between the West End and the South Side can boost local economies and complement significant regeneration projects between the University of Glasgow and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and on both banks of the Clyde.”
David Buchanan, project manager at Farrans Construction, added, “The arrival of the main span of the Govan – Partick Bridge represents a key milestone in this project and an exciting period of activity for our team.
“There are many factors to consider with a civil engineering operation such as this one, most of which we are able to plan, however we also have changeable elements like the weather and tides to contend with.
“The crane we will use for the bridge is the Hebo Lift 10 which is capable of lifting 2200 tonnes. To have the bridge and crane here and ready to progress means that we are moving into the final stage of this important project. I would like to thank our client, supply chain and the local community for continuing to work closely with us to facilitate major events like this one.”
