Kincardine Bridge

Last updated

Kincardine Bridge

"Drochaid Chinn Chàrdain"
Kincardine Bridge.jpg
The Kincardine Bridge on the River Forth
Coordinates 56°3′54.5″N3°43′38.2″W / 56.065139°N 3.727278°W / 56.065139; -3.727278
Carries A985 road
Crosses Forth River
Locale Kincardine, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
Characteristics
Design Swing bridge with mix of secondary span structure types
Total length822 metres (2,697 ft) [1]
Longest span111 metres (364 ft) [1]
History
Designer Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners [2]
Construction start1932 [2]
Construction end1936 [2]
Location
Kincardine Bridge

The Kincardine Bridge is a road bridge crossing the Firth of Forth from Falkirk council area to Kincardine, Fife, Scotland.

Contents

History

A map of the bridge and the surrounding river from 1945 Kincardine Bridgemap1945.jpg
A map of the bridge and the surrounding river from 1945

The bridge was constructed between 1932 and 1936, to a design by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, Consulting Engineers, [3] and Architect, Donald Watson. It was the first road crossing of the River Forth downstream of Stirling, completed nearly thirty years before the Forth Road Bridge, which stands fifteen miles (24 km) to the south-east.

The bridge was constructed with a swinging central section which remained in use until 1988, that would allow larger ships to sail upstream to the small port at Alloa.

The bridge's no-longer-operable swing span, viewed from the new Clackmannanshire Bridge Kincardine Bridge swing span - from Clackmannanshire Bridge in 2014.jpg
The bridge's no-longer-operable swing span, viewed from the new Clackmannanshire Bridge

The bridge is part of the A985 road (formerly A876), and carries a single lane in each direction. Until the opening of the Clackmannanshire Bridge in 2008, it was the customary diversion route for traffic north from Edinburgh and eastern Scotland when the Forth Road Bridge was closed or under repair. As a result of the additional traffic using the bridge at these times, joining the high volume of regular commuter traffic, the town of Kincardine was frequently congested.

In 2023 work began to replace a section of the southern viaduct which had been assessed in 1984 as 'substandard' and reinforced in 1992 with steel supports. [4]

Second bridge

The original bridge, at over 70 years old, was identified by the Scottish Executive as being in need of replacement. The new Clackmannanshire Bridge [5] was opened on 19 November 2008. [6] The original bridge was given Category A listed status by Historic Scotland in 2005, [7] [8] and was closed temporarily for upgrading works in 2011.

With the opening of the new bridge, the Kincardine Bridge was re-numbered as part of the A985 while the new Clackmannanshire Bridge became part of the re-routed A876, forming the Kincardine bypass.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clackmannanshire</span> Historic county and council area of Scotland

Clackmannanshire, or the County of Clackmannan, is a historic county, council area, registration county and lieutenancy area in Scotland, bordering the council areas of Stirling, Fife, and Perth and Kinross. In terms of historic counties it borders Perthshire, Stirlingshire and Fife.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forth Road Bridge</span> Suspension bridge spanning the Firth of Forth in east-central Scotland

The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in east central Scotland. The bridge opened in 1964 and at the time was the longest suspension bridge in the world outside the United States. The bridge spans the Firth of Forth, connecting Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, to Fife, at North Queensferry. It replaced a centuries-old ferry service to carry vehicular traffic, cyclists and pedestrians across the Forth; railway crossings are made by the nearby Forth Bridge, opened in 1890.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M8 motorway (Scotland)</span> Busiest motorway in Scotland

The M8 is the busiest motorway in Scotland. It connects the country's two largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and serves other large communities including Airdrie, Coatbridge, Greenock, Livingston and Paisley. The motorway is 60 miles (97 km) long. A major construction project to build the final section between Newhouse and Baillieston was completed on 30 April 2017. The motorway has one service station, Heart of Scotland Services, previously named Harthill due to its proximity to the village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Forth</span> River in central Scotland

The River Forth is a major river in central Scotland, 47 km (29 mi) long, which drains into the North Sea on the east coast of the country. Its drainage basin covers much of Stirlingshire in Scotland's Central Belt. The Gaelic name for the upper reach of the river, above Stirling, is Abhainn Dubh, meaning "black river". The name for the river below the tidal reach is Uisge For.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swing bridge</span> Bridge which pivots around the mid-point

A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right. Small swing bridges as found over canals may be pivoted only at one end, opening as would a gate, but require substantial underground structure to support the pivot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M876 motorway</span> Motorway in Scotland

The M876 motorway is a motorway in Scotland. The motorway runs from Denny to Airth in the Falkirk council area, forming an approach road to the Kincardine Bridge. It was opened in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Severn Bridge</span> Bridge over the rivers Severn and Wye in England and Wales

The Severn Bridge is a motorway suspension bridge that spans the River Severn between South Gloucestershire in England and Monmouthshire in South East Wales. It is the original Severn road crossing between England and Wales, and took three and a half years to build, at a cost of £8 million. It replaced the 137-year-old Aust Ferry.

Kincardine or Kincardine-on-Forth is a small town on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, in Fife, Scotland. The town was given the status of a burgh of barony in 1663. It was at one time a reasonably prosperous minor port. The townscape retains many good examples of Scottish vernacular buildings from the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries, although it was greatly altered during the construction of Kincardine Bridge in 1932–1936. It is in the civil parish of Tulliallan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stirling–Alloa–Kincardine rail link</span> Railway line in Scotland

The Stirling–Alloa–Kincardine rail link is a completed railway project to re-open 21 kilometres (13 mi) of railway between Stirling, Alloa and Kincardine in Scotland. The route opened to rail traffic in March 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alloa railway station</span> Railway station in Clackmannanshire, Scotland

Alloa railway station is a railway station in the town of Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, which was re-opened on Monday, 19 May 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stirling and Dunfermline Railway</span> Former railway in Scotland

The Stirling and Dunfermline Railway was a railway in Scotland connecting Stirling and Dunfermline. It was planned by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway to get access to the mineral deposits on the line of route, but also as a tactical measure to keep the rival Caledonian Railway out of Fife.

The Kincardine Line is a railway in Clackmannanshire and Fife, Scotland. It was originally built to serve settlements along the north shore of the Firth of Forth, between Alloa and Dunfermline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clackmannanshire Bridge</span> Bridge in Fife , Falkirk

The Clackmannanshire Bridge is a road bridge over the Firth of Forth in Scotland which opened to traffic on 19 November 2008. Prior to 1 October 2008 the bridge was referred to as the upper Forth crossing while the name was chosen.

The Alloa Railway was intended to bridge the River Forth linking Alloa with the south without using a ferry.

The Forth and Clyde Junction Railway was a railway line in Scotland which ran from Stirling to Balloch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Cycle Route 76</span> Cycle route in the United Kingdom

National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 76 is a Sustrans National Route that runs from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Kirkcaldy. The route is 168 miles (270 km) in length and is fully open and signed in both directions. Between Dunbar and Kirkcaldy the route is known as the Round the Forth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensferry Crossing</span> Road bridge across the Firth of Forth, Scotland

The Queensferry Crossing is a road bridge in Scotland. It was built alongside the existing Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Bridge. It carries the M90 motorway across the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, and Fife, at North Queensferry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tullibody Old Bridge</span> Historic site in Tullibody, Clackmannanshire

Tullibody Old Bridge, over the River Devon near Tullibody, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, dates from the early 16th century. Disused after 1915, it was restored for use by walkers and cyclists in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon Valley Railway</span> Former railway line in Scotland

The Devon Valley Railway linked Alloa and Kinross in central Scotland, along a route following the valley of the River Devon. Its construction took 20 years from the first section opening in 1851, to the final section in 1871. Three railway companies were involved, and it encountered a great many problems both with finance and engineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambus, Clackmannanshire</span> Village in Clackmannanshire, Scotland

Cambus is a village near Alloa, Clackmannanshire. It is located to the south of Tullibody, to the northwest of Alloa, and about 4 miles east of Stirling, across the river. It lies on the River Devon, near its confluence with the River Forth.

References

  1. 1 2 "Heritage Locations – Scotland – Clackmannanshire – Kincardine Swing Bridge". London: The Transport Trust.
  2. 1 2 3 Kincardine Bridge at Structurae
  3. "The Kincardine Bridge: Celebrating 85 Years". Scottish Roads Archive.
  4. "Kincardine Bridge Southern Piled Viaduct". BEAR Scotland.
  5. BBC news report, 1 October 2008
  6. Scottish Government, 'New bridge over Forth opens'.
  7. "Kincardine bridge swings to future Crossing built for car boom given listed protection". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  8. Historic Environment Scotland. "Kincardine Bridge (Category A Listed Building) (LB50078)" . Retrieved 26 March 2019.