The main span of the Govan-Partick Bridge has arrived at Yorkhill Quay in the West End.
The white steel structure sailed up the River Clyde on top of a giant barge, towed by the tug Elisa.
The bridge span is expected to remain at the quay before being hoisted into position by floating crane next week.
Work on preparing the plinth and quays between Water Row in Govan and Pointhouse Quay in Partick has been under way for over a year.
The £29.5million crossing is a Glasgow City Region City Deal project, funded by the Scottish and UK Governments.
Connection
When opened next year, the pedestrian / cycle bridge will re-establish the historic connection between Govan and Partick.
It will be an active travel route between the University of Glasgow’s campus at Gilmorehill and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
The bridge was constructed in Belgium and transported along canals to Holland where pylon and cabling was installed prior to sailing to the Clyde estuary and up the river. The span left Westdorpe in the Netherlands on 7 October.
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.
The moving span will - weather permitting - be put in place next week 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.
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.
David Buchanan
The construction is supporting 143 jobs and “significant community benefits’, according to its partners.
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.”
Scottish Government Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray said: “I welcome this significant step towards reconnecting Govan and Partick.
“This will boost the local and wider economy and give people in Govan access to more jobs, visitor attractions and the University of Glasgow. By expanding options for active travel and bringing communities together, we are delivering a fairer, greener and growing economy.”
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: "The opening of the Govan-Partick bridge will be an exciting moment for the community.
“This bridge will create a brand-new pedestrian friendly connection to bring the communities together and support redevelopment and business growth.
“The UK Government is supporting the project as part of £524 million investment in the Glasgow City Region Deal."
'Important project'
David Buchanan, Project Manager for Farrans Construction, said: “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.”
