Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders
Date 2007
Event ID 578451
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/578451
Sometimes known as The Queen’s Bridge, this magnificent viaduct built over the Tweed in 1863 on the former
Symington, Biggar & Broughton Railway (from 1866 the Caledonian Railway) is one of the finest examples of
skewed-arch construction in Scotland. It has eight arches on a curve of 20 chains (1320 ft) and is 15 ft wide.
Opened in February 1864, the single track viaduct and tunnel were designed in 1861 by Bruce & Cunningham,
Edinburgh consulting engineers. The contractor was Neidpath Viaduct William Scott, Kilmarnock. The intricate and detailed calculations made early in 1863 for the skewed freestone masonry and the erection of the viaduct have survived.
They were made by resident engineer Robert Murray at the Damdale site office, Peebles. The tunnel is 537 yards long of which all but 8 yards is lined in 18 in. brickwork. It has ashlar fac¸ades, is 18 ft high and 1714
ft wide. Excavation in whinstone and sand cost 7/6d per cubic yard and the price per lineal yard of tunnel with brickwork was charged at £231 4s, and for 18 in. ashlar at £50 2s 4d, making £14 431 6s 8d in total. The railway was closed in 1954 and the viaduct is now part of a heritage trail.
R Paxton and J Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.
