Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders
Date 2007
Event ID 590390
Category Descriptive Accounts
Type Publication Account
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/590390
This bridge replaced a bridge of 1763 (see RCAHMS NT27SE 1278.00) urther work was done until after a design competition in 1765. From 1894–97 the 1765 bridge was replaced by the present 561 ft long, three-span steel segmental arch bridge with 175 ft spans comprising 1935 tons of steel. Each span is supported on six 4 ft deep ‘I’ section plate girder ribs, with outer facades of cast-iron to a traditional elevation. The width of the bridge is 75 ft, nearly double that of its predecessor. The foundation stone ‘containing the usual tokens’ was laid on top of the north pier with full Masonic honours on 25 May 1896. The bridge is a fine early example of steel-arch construction in Britain. The engineers were Cunningham, Blyth & Westland, Edinburgh, the contractor was Sir William Arrol & Co., and the mason work subcontractors Wm. Beattie & Sons. The contract price was about £90 000.
R Paxton and S Shipway 2007
Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission of Thomas Telford Publishers.
