![Clydearc-glasgow-2008](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Clydearc-glasgow-2008.jpg)
The Clyde Arc (known locally as the Squinty Bridge) is a road bridge spanning the
River Clyde
The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...
in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, connecting
Finnieston
Finnieston is an area of Glasgow, Scotland, situated on the north bank of the River Clyde roughly between the city's Glasgow#West End, West End and the Glasgow#City centre, city centre.
Finnieston is home to the Scottish Exhibition and Conferen ...
near the
Clyde Auditorium
The SEC Armadillo (originally known as the Clyde Auditorium) is an auditorium located near the River Clyde, in Glasgow, Scotland. It is one of three venues on the Scottish Event Campus, which includes the SEC Centre and the OVO Hydro. and
SEC with
Pacific Quay
Pacific Quay is an area south of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. It is located at the former Plantation Quay and Princes' Dock Basin. The Princes' Dock Basin was the largest on the River Clyde when it was opened by the Clyde Navigation Tr ...
and
Glasgow Science Centre
Glasgow Science Centre is a visitor attraction located in the Clyde Waterfront Regeneration area on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II opened Glasgow Science Centre on 5 July 2001. It is one of Scotland's m ...
in
Govan
Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...
. Prominent features of the bridge are its innovative curved design, and that it crosses the river at an angle. The Arc is the first city centre traffic crossing over the river built since the
Kingston Bridge was opened to traffic in 1970.
The bridge was named the "Clyde Arc" upon its official opening on 18 September 2006. It had been previously known as the "Finnieston Bridge", or the "Squinty Bridge".
Design
The Clyde Arc was designed by
Halcrow Group
Halcrow Group Limited was a multinational engineering consultancy company, based in the United Kingdom
Halcrow was one of the UK's largest consultancies, with origins stretching back to 1868. The UK-based consultancy specialised in the provision ...
and built by
Edmund Nuttall.
Glasgow City Council
Glasgow City Council is the local government authority for the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Glasgow district of the S ...
instigated the project in conjunction with
Scottish Enterprise
Scottish Enterprise is a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government which encourages economic development, enterprise, innovation and investment in business. The body covers the eastern and central parts of Scotland whilst similar ...
and the
Scottish Government. Piling works for the bridge were carried out from a large floating barge on the Clyde, whilst the bridge superstructure was fabricated offsite. The bridge-deck concrete-slab units were cast at an onsite pre-casting yard. Planning permission was granted in 2003 and construction of the bridge began in May 2005. It was structurally completed in April 2006. The bridge project cost an estimated £20.3M. The Bridge is designed to last 120 years.
The bridge has a main span of with two end spans of , resulting in a total span of . The design of the main span features a steel arch. The supports for the main span are located within the river with the abutments located behind the existing quay walls. The central navigation height at mean water height is .
It was officially opened on 18 September 2006 by
Glasgow City Council
Glasgow City Council is the local government authority for the City of Glasgow, Scotland. It was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, largely with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Glasgow district of the S ...
leader
Steven Purcell
Steven Purcell is a former Scottish Labour Party politician who was councillor for the Drumchapel/Anniesland ward of Glasgow City Council. He was Leader of the council from 24 May 2005 until 2 March 2010, when he announced he would be standing ...
, although pedestrians were allowed to walk across it the previous two days as part of Glasgow's annual "
Doors Open
''Doors Open'' is a 2008 novel by crime writer Ian Rankin. It was his first stand-alone thriller in over 10 years.
The story was originally published as a serial novel in ''The New York Times Magazine''.
Plot outline
Mike Mackenzie is a soft ...
" Weekend.
The bridge connects Finnieston Street on the north bank of the river to Govan Road on the southern bank. The bridge takes four lanes of traffic, two of which are dedicated to
public transport
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
and two for private and commercial traffic. There are also pedestrian and cycle paths. The new bridge was built to provide better access to Pacific Quay and allow better access to regeneration areas on both banks of the Clyde. The bridge has been designed to cope with a possible light rapid transit system (light railway scheme) or even a tram system.
The bridge is the first part of several development projects planned to regenerate Glasgow. The £40M
Tradeston Bridge was also completed (a further proposed pedestrian bridge linking
Springfield Quay with
Lancefield Quay
Lancefield is a town in the Shire of Macedon Ranges local government area in Victoria, Australia north of the state capital, Melbourne and had a population of 2,743 at the 2021 census.
History
The area was used by the indigenous aborigina ...
was not). The canting basin and next to Pacific Quay are subject to development along with
Tradeston
Tradeston () is a small district in the Scottish city of Glasgow adjacent to the city centre on the south bank of the River Clyde.
Geography
Tradeston is bounded by the River Clyde to the north, the Glasgow to Paisley railway line to the so ...
and
Laurieston. A derelict area of
Dalmarnock
Dalmarnock (, gd, Dail Mheàrnaig) is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated east of the city centre, directly north of the River Clyde opposite the town of Rutherglen. It is also bounded by the Glasgow neighbourhoods of Pa ...
was used as the 'athletes' village' for the
2014 Commonwealth Games
The 2014 Commonwealth Games ( gd, Geamannan a' Cho-fhlaitheis 2014), officially known as the XX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Glasgow 2014, ( sco, Glesca 2014 or Glesga 2014; gd, Glaschu 2014), was an international multi-sport ev ...
in Glasgow.
Support hanger failure
The bridge was closed between 14 January and 28 June 2008 due to the failure of one support hanger, and cracks found in a second.
On the night of 14 January 2008 the connecting fork on one of the bridge's 14 hangers (supporting cables that transfer the weight of the roadway to the bridge's arch) snapped;
Strathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police was the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshir ...
quickly closed the bridge to traffic. Robert Booth, a spokesman for Glasgow City Council said:
A detailed inspection on 24 January found a stress fracture in a second support cable stay, like the one which had failed previously. Engineers determined that all of these connectors would have to be replaced; rather than a brief closure the bridge would have to remain closed for six months.
["Sitting pretty in Glasgow", p3 ''Construction News'' Issue 7060, 20 March 2008] In addition traffic on the river below was also halted. In March Nuttall began installing five temporary saddle frames atop the bridge's arch; these allowed the weight of the bridge to be supported without the hangers. This allowed them to replace defective fork connectors at the top and bottom of each hanger.
The bridge recommenced on 28 June 2008 with just two of its four lanes in use, having had all the cast
steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
connectors replaced with milled steel connectors. Once reopened, Glasgow City Council estimated that 6,500 crossings will be made every day using the bridge.
New Civil Engineer reported subcontractor
Watson Steel Structures was suing
Macalloy
McCalls Special Products Ltd is a British manufacturer of steel bar and cable components for tensioned concrete, ground anchors, curtain walling, and steel structures. It operates under the Macalloy brand and claims to be a world leader in th ...
, the supplier of the failed connectors, for £1.8 million. Watson alleged components obtained from Macalloy did not meet British Standards or their own specifications; parts were inadequately manufactured, and did not tally with test certificates provided by the firm. Macalloy denied the claim and countered Watson Steel Structures Ltd had only specified minimum yield stress for the components.
See also
*
Hulme Arch Bridge
The Hulme Arch Bridge in Hulme, Manchester, England, supports Stretford Road as it passes over Princess Road, and is located at grid reference . The construction of the bridge formed part of the regeneration of the Hulme district of Manchester ...
References
External links
Photographs taken at the opening ceremonyClyde Arc - Clyde Waterfront project details
{{River Clyde
Road bridges in Scotland
Bridges in Glasgow
Bridges across the River Clyde
Through arch bridges in the United Kingdom
Pedestrian bridges in Scotland
Bridges completed in 2006
Engineering failures
Govan
2006 establishments in Scotland