Victoria Swing Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 55°58′43″N3°10′12″W / 55.9787251°N 3.1699057°W |
| Crosses | Water of Leith |
| Characteristics | |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Total length | 212 feet (65 m) |
| Width | 24 feet (7.3 m) |
| Longest span | 120 feet (37 m) |
| History | |
| Engineering design by | Rendel and Robertson |
| Construction start | 1871 |
| Construction end | 1874 |
| Construction cost | £30,000 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Victoria Swing Bridge is a swing bridge in Leith, Edinburgh.
The bridge was built between 1871 and 1874 to service the new docks. [1] It was engineered by Rendel and Robertson, with J. H. Bostock as resident engineer. [1] McDonald & Grant were contractors for the foundations, and the bridge was built by the Skerne Iron Works. [1] The works cost around £30,000. [1]
Until the completion of the Kincardine Bridge, also in Scotland, in 1936, it is thought to have been the longest clear swing bridge span in Britain [1] (The Swing Bridge, River Tyne, completed two years after the Victoria Bridge, has a longer deck span).
In 1974, the bridge was designated a Category A listed building by Historic Environment Scotland (HES). [2]
Despite some renovation of the bridge that was completed in 2000, [3] HES put the structure on the Buildings at Risk Register in 2020 with a risk category of "Moderate". This followed reports of the poor condition of the deck, with timber rotting in places and vegetation taking hold. [4]
In 2021, Forth Ports was granted listed building consent for a full refurbishment programme, the work to include renovation of the two walkways, re-decking of the carriageway, replacement of the decked turning circle areas and repainting of the metalwork. The project, which is being financed by a "private six-figure investment", is being carried out in phases. [5] As of January 2024 [update] the work is still in progress.
It was 212 feet (65 m) long in total, with a clear span of 120 feet (37 m), and a roadway width of 24 feet (7.3 m). [1] The bridge was constructed from wrought iron, and weighed 620 tonnes (610 long tons; 680 short tons), including 60 tonnes (59 long tons; 66 short tons) of timber decking and 240 tonnes (240 long tons; 260 short tons) of kentledge counterweight. [1] The bridge carried two tracks of a dock railway and a road, and there are footpaths on either side outside the truss structure. [1] [6] The tracks and roadway have now been removed, and the bridge has a wooden deck. [6]
The bridge was powered hydraulically by a power station just to the north. [7] [8] It swung to the north, and the space afforded for the counterbalance can still be seen. [8]
It has been succeeded by a new bridge further downstream, which carries a roadway known as Ocean Drive. [9] [8]
Chelsea Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames in west London, connecting Chelsea on the north bank to Battersea on the south bank, and split between the City of Westminster, the London Borough of Wandsworth and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. There have been two Chelsea Bridges, on the site of what was an ancient ford.
The Millau Viaduct is a multispan cable-stayed bridge completed in 2004 across the gorge valley of the Tarn near Millau in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie Region, in Southern France. The design team was led by engineer Michel Virlogeux and English architect Norman Foster. As of October 2023, it is the tallest bridge in the world, having a structural height of 336.4 metres (1,104 ft).
The Broadway Bridge is a vertical-lift bridge across the Harlem River Ship Canal in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It connects the neighborhoods of Inwood on Manhattan Island and Marble Hill on the mainland. The bridge consists of two decks. The lower deck carries Broadway, which is designated as U.S. Route 9 at this location. The upper deck carries the New York City Subway's IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, serving the 1 train.
The Ladykirk and Norham Bridge connects Ladykirk in the Borders, Scotland, with Norham in Northumberland, England, across the River Tweed. It's one of three bridges that cross it along the Anglo-Scottish Border, the others being the Coldstream Bridge and the Union Chain Bridge; out of these, the Ladykirk and Norham Bridge is the youngest, opening to the public in 1888.
Connel Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans Loch Etive at Connel in Scotland. The bridge takes the A828 road across the narrowest part of the loch, at the Falls of Lora. It is a category B listed structure.
The Cumberland Basin is the main entrance to the docks of the city of Bristol, England. It separates the areas of Hotwells from the tip of Spike Island.
The Jamestown Viaduct is part of the northern approach to the Forth Bridge in Scotland. It crosses the hamlet of Jamestown and the village of North Queensferry in Fife.
The Slateford Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Union Canal over the Water of Leith at Slateford, Edinburgh, Scotland. Completed in 1822, it has eight arches and spans a length of 500 feet (150 m).
The Avon Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Union Canal over the River Avon, near Linlithgow, Scotland.
South Bridge is a road bridge and street in Edinburgh, Scotland, between the High Street, where it meets the North Bridge, to Nicolson Street at the south. It forms a continuous roadway over the steep valley scoured parallel to the High Street when the crag and tail landscape of the city was formed. The bridge dips down from the High Street to the Cowgate, which runs under the largest arch of the bridge, before climbing back up to its terminus at Nicolson Street.
North Bridge is a road bridge and street in Edinburgh linking the High Street with Princes Street, and the Old Town with the New Town. The current bridge was built between 1894 and 1897. A previous North Bridge, built between 1763 and 1772, stood until 1896.
Kinbuck Bridge or Bridge of Kinbuck is a category B listed structure in the hamlet of Kinbuck in Stirling.
The Caledonian Railway Bridge is a bridge crossing the River Clyde at Broomielaw in Scotland. It is adjacent to Glasgow Central Station.
The Ashton Avenue Bridge is a pedestrian, cycling and busway bridge in Bristol, England. Grade II listed, it was constructed as a road-rail bridge as part of the Bristol Harbour Railway. It now carries a Bristol MetroBus guided busway route and National Cycle Network cycle routes.
The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, 9 miles west of central Edinburgh. Completed in 1890, it is considered a symbol of Scotland, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was designed by English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. It is sometimes referred to as the Forth Rail Bridge, although this is not its official name.
The Newbattle Viaduct, sometimes also called the Lothianbridge, Newtongrange or Dalhousie Viaduct, carries the Borders Railway, which opened in 2015, over the River South Esk near Newtongrange, Midlothian, Scotland.
The Drygrange Old Bridge is a disused road bridge over the River Tweed near Melrose in the Scottish Borders.
The Kelso Bridge or Rennie's Bridge is a bridge across the River Tweed at Kelso, in the Scottish Borders.
The Mertoun Bridge is a bridge across the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders.
