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August 2005

Work starts on new Clyde Crossing

Construction work on the new £20 million Finnieston Bridge over the River Clyde has begun.

The bridge, designed by Halcrow, will provide the first new traffic link over the river for more than 30 years. It will carry two lanes for public transport together with two lanes for other vehicles and will link Finnieston near the SECC on the north bank, to the Pacific Quay site on the south side. It is scheduled to open in September 2006.

One of the key features of the 100 metre span is a capability to cope with the addition of a light transport system, such as a tram, in the future. The Halcrow designed bridge is being built by Kilsyth based civil engineering contractor Edmund Nuttall Ltd.

Ian Salisbury, Project Director at Halcrow said: “The design of the Finnieston Bridge presented us with some unique engineering challenges and the setting makes its visual appeal vitally important. While any new bridge across a river like the Clyde will become a landmark, it was important that it remained in keeping with its surroundings. The final blueprint is a simple, classic design which reflects Glasgow reputation as a city with style.

“Halcrow has a proud history of designing bridges across the Clyde and as a resident of the city, I’m proud to help design Glasgow’s first 21 st century bridge.”

The bridge is funded by Scottish Enterprise Glasgow and Glasgow City Council and is a key linkage in the regeneration of the River Clyde.

Scottish Enterprise, Chief Executive Ron Culley said: “The opening of this bridge will be a cornerstone of the regeneration of this part of the river. Work to turn Pacific Quay into the city’s media and creative industry hub is already well underway and this crossing will open up the entire area to new development and investment opportunities,”

“Providing supporting infrastructure is a key element in regeneration and is further evidence of the crucial impact we can have on building the economy of the city.”

Both BBC Scotland and the Scottish Media Group will be opening new corporate HQs on the former Garden Festival site over the next three years. It’s estimated that when complete the development will support more than 3500 jobs.

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