BRIDGES OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

The configuration and ages of the River Clyde bridges tell a story about the historical development of Glasgow, a story that is similar to that of Dublin, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and many other port cities. These cities were founded at the location where their respective rivers turned from free-flowing to tidal because this was the furthest inland point at which the rivers were navigable for ocean-going ships. In each case, the river is fairly straight, and it evenly splits the Old Town area in half as it moves from a narrow, freshwater river to widen out into an estuary that served as the harbor for centuries. As a result, each of these cities has multiple interesting, historic bridges connecting the two halves of their Old Town areas. In Glasgow, these include many old stone arch bridges, as well as the gorgeous stone-tower South Portland Street Suspension Bridge from 1853.

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Later, in the last half of the twentieth century, after major port facilities developed in deeper water closer to the sea, the former dock areas in these cities were redeveloped into high end office buildings, condos, hotels, and shops. Because the tidal area was no longer used for shipping, there were no longer any limitations on the construction of bridges. By the 1990s, new bridges were being constructed in these redeveloped areas. Because these areas were close to downtown and supported well-heeled residential and commercial development, the bridges were designed as public art using sculptural, cable-stayed designs. In Glasgow, Newcastle, and Dublin, the new sculptural bridges are mostly found on the seaward end of town, in the former dock area. Glasgow has been prominent in the modern bridge movement, with four modernistic bridges constructed in the former dock areas. These are Millennium, Bells, Tradeston, and Clyde Arc.

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Millennium Bridge, constructed in 2002, is the farthest seaward of the new bridges, on the western edge of the walkable tourist area. It is also the least elaborate of the sculptural bridges. It was constructed to provide pedestrian access between the modern Science Center and the Glasgow Gateway Complex. The bridge is an open tubular steel structure rising in an inverted “V” shape above the river. The central section is movable and can be opened to allow passage of larger boats.

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Bells Bridge, constructed in 1988, is also a pedestrian-only bridge linking new commercial developments in what were former dock areas. Bells Bridge is one of the earlier sculptural, cable-stayed bridges. It is also movable, but differently than Millennium Bridge. On Millennium Bridge, the central span rises on a hinge in the way we think of a typical drawbridge. Bells Bridge is constructed with a single, central suspension tower to which the fan-shaped cables are attached. This tower sits on a rotatable pylon, so the entire bridge deck can be rotated to create an open channel on both sides of the central pylon. The bridge links to the modernistic Clyde Auditorium known locally as the “Armadillo” due to the curved, overlapping shell-like structure of its roof. Bells Bridge is also unusual in that it has a roof, and so is a modernistic covered bridge. The roof is constructed of curved glass panels that mimic the curved white roof of the Clyde Auditorium.

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Tradeston Bridge, from 2009, is another pedestrian-only bridge that also serves as modernistic public sculpture. The deck of Tradeston Bridge is not supported by piers or cables, but by gigantic, triangular-shaped white steel pylons. These pylons are curved, thus allowing the bridge deck itself to be curved in an “S” shape, making it a three-dimensional experience to visit.

One of the most well-known examples of a cable-stayed bridge in Europe is the Clyde Arc. The supporting structure of the Clyde Arc is just as it is named, a single, sweeping white curving arch from bank to bank. Beneath this arch, crisscrossing diagonal cables form a honeycomb to support the deck. Of all of the bridges in Glasgow, the Clyde Arc has the highest and, therefore, most visible superstructure, making it a prominent landmark of the city. The Clyde Arc also demonstrates a common feature of the new generation of sculptural bridges, which is the use of modern lighting techniques to make the structure an attractive, prominent part of the cityscape at night.

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There is a more detailed description of the transformation of the former dock areas of Glasgow, and how it led to the construction of modernistic, sculptural bridges, is provided in Chapter 5 of my book, Bridgespotting: A Guide to Bridges that Connect People, Places, and Times.