Airdrie, Deedes Street Bridge
Railway Bridge (20th Century)
Site Name Airdrie, Deedes Street Bridge
Classification Railway Bridge (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Deedes Road Railway Bridge; Coatbridge; Coatdyke
Canmore ID 91771
Site Number NS76NE 22
NGR NS 75050 65127
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/91771
- Council North Lanarkshire
- Parish New Monkland (Monklands)
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Monklands
- Former County Lanarkshire
NS76NE 22 75050 65127
Location formerly cited as NS 750 651.
Not to be confused with Coatdyke, Centenary Avenue, Railway Viaduct (NS 74777 65208), for which see NS76NW 152.
A fabricated steel bridge carrying two railway tracks across Deedes Street in Airdrie, built by Sir William Arrol & Co in 1929. The bridge comprises three 'Whipple-Murphy' bow trusses, and is one of only three known uses of this truss system in Scotland (the others being nearby at Baillieston ((Bargeddie: NS66SE 141) over the A8, and the navigation spans of the Tay (railway) Bridge (NO32NE 11). The bridge was still being used by railway traffic in 2003.
Information from Dr J S Shipway, 27 Ravelston Gardens, Edinburgh, EH4 3LF, 20 June 2003.
Information supplied by Mr Howie would suggest that the date of completion of the bridge was 1927 rather than 1929. An article in the 'Structural Engineer' for 1927 records the near completion of the bridge and a publication 'The tramways of the Monklands' (I L Cormack), also records the opening of the bridge on 16th February 1927.
Information to RCAHMS via e-mail from Mr J Howie, 6 March 2006
This bridge carries the Airdrie-Coatbridge branch of the former North British Rly over Deedes Street (which here forms the A8010) to the SE of Coatdyke Station (NS76NW 15). Its location falls between Airdrie (to the NE) and Coatbridge and Coatdyke (to the SW). It remains in regular use by passenger traffic.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 6 March 2006.
Note (11 June 2019)
Contemporary newspaper accounts confirm that reconstruction of the bridge was completed in 1927. An article in The Scotsman, dated 20 February 1926, states that the work will take approximately 8 months to complete. In October of the same year, there is a notice in the Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser (9th October 1926) detailing the traffic diversions in place due to the bridge works. A further notice in January of 1927 (Airdrie and Coatbridge Advertiser - Saturday 15 January 1927) warns readers of the train service alterations as a consequence of the reconstruction of Deedes Street Bridge.
Information from Historic Environment Scotland (LMcC) 11 June 2019
