New bridge arch spans the Clyde

Two 500t mobile cranes have lifted the final section of steel arch into place above the River Clyde as work to erect Glasgow’s elegant new Finnieston road bridge enters its final phase.

The £14M bow string arch bridge was designed and built by Nuttall and features a single steel 100m-long arch that crosses transversely from one side of the deck to the other. The bridge has a span of 96m, crosses the water at an angle of 31° and is set to improve connectivity between the city centre and the new Pacific Quay enterprise area on the south of the river.

Nine components of the steel arch were fabricated by Watson Steel Structures in Bolton and painted on Merseyside. The units were transported to Glasgow by road and welded together in three curved sections on the completed bridge deck.

The steel composite bridge deck is made up of 110 precast units and was constructed in a dedicated yard 1km downstream from the bridge site. The units were transported to the bridge site along the river and lifted into position using a 300t capacity floating crane.

Steel tubular piles driven into the river bed have supported the bridge during construction and 14 tie bar hangers were strung from the arch to the deck by Watson Steel Structures in May. The Finnieston bridge, the first new road crossing of the Clyde in 35 years, is set to open in August.