Renfrew Bridge opening tests complete

The 184m-long cable-stay bridge near Glasgow, Scotland, will be the first road bridge across the River Clyde to open for passing ships.
By David Arminas August 28, 2024 Read time: 2 mins
The cable stay system is similar to Scotland’s Queensferry Crossing bridge - a twin-leaf design with each leaf opening and closing horizontally (image courtesy Graham Construction)

The first operational working of the Renfrew Bridge near Glasgow, Scotland has been accomplished ahead of the bridge opening by the end of this year.

Main contractor Graham said it will continue commissioning works for the bridge that will be the first road bridge across the River Clyde to open for passing ships. The 184m-long cable-stay two-lane road bridge will carry vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists between Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire.

The cable stay system is similar to the Queensferry Crossing - a twin-leaf design with each leaf opening and closing horizontally. Most commercial ships travel on the river during high tide, which happens once during the day and once during the night. When this happens, the bridge will be closed to road traffic, with signs nearby and information online providing advance notice of any closure to all people to plan ahead.

There will be new walking and cycling routes alongside all new roads through Renfrew and across the bridge.

The bridge is central to the major Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside redevelopment. “It was great to see the bridge closing for the first time in such a smooth, controlled and seamless operation,” said Jim Armour, project director at Graham, a privately-owned national construction company with a €1.32 billion turnover.

The two sections of the bridge were manufactured in the Netherlands and barged over, passing up the English Channel and then up the Irish sea to the site earlier this year.

The project is jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments through the €1.32 billion Glasgow City Region, a partnership of eight councils working together.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Q-Free solution for Glasgow
    September 3, 2021
    For the HI-TRAC CMU bicycle detection solution, in-road piezo-electric sensors are located around 25m away from every road leading to a major junction.
    Read More
  • Almost gone: Canada’s old Port Mann Bridge deconstructed
    August 14, 2015
    Three years ago a welder’s cut halved Canada’s old Port Mann Bridge. David Arminas reports from the banks of the Fraser River. By the time this issue of World Highways reaches you, one of Canada’s iconic steel arch bridges will be a shadow of its former self. It’s been a three-year demolition job since the first cut across the deck of the old Port Mann Bridge just outside the city of Vancouver on Canada’s Pacific coast. A new 10-lane 2.2km Port Mann Bridge opened in 2012 (see box). It runs parallel to the o
    Read More
  • Emovis continues with Mersey Gateway tolling
    March 18, 2022
    Emovis provides collection of tolls and charges for both Mersey Gateway Crossing and the older 87m-long Silver Jubilee Bridge through its merseyflow brand name.
    Read More
  • New international trade crossing linking Canada and US
    June 9, 2015
    The Detroit River is short, only 45km, and narrow in places, less than 1km. Around a quarter of the annual $658 billion Canada-US trade crosses over the river. That’s $160 billion worth of goods trucked each year between Detroit in the US state of Michigan and the Canadian city of Windsor in the province of Ontario - the Windsor-Detroit Corridor. There are several types of crossings, but the vast majority of commercial traffic must use the 2.3km Ambassador Bridge (see box). A new bridge was initially prop
    Read More

Highlighted Content