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Almond Bridge

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Almond Bridge
Location Map ( geo)
Almond-br1.jpg
Cameraicon.png View gallery (3)
From:  Perth
To:  Luncarty
Location
Inveralmond
County
Perthshire
Highway Authority
Transport Scotland • Perth and Kinross
Opening Date
1827, 1975
On road(s)
A9

The River Almond flows into the Tay at Inveralmond, immediately to the north of Perth. After an often beautiful journey through Perthshire, the final miles are thickly wooded, to the extent that the two bridges here are almost impossible to see clearly through the summer months.

The New Bridge

The New Bridge

The modern bridge carrying the A9 across the River Almond was built in 1975 and carries a dual carriageway. Aberdeen Press of 3 July 1975 reported that the bridge and 1.75 mile approaches had opened "last weekend". It was one of the earliest sections of the modern A9 constructed and ran from the Inveralmond Roundabout to a point before the Luncarty bypass.

It consists of three spans, although with so much vegetation it is difficult to tell if the side spans cross the river channel, or most probably just the banks. The two piers are certainly sited very close to the rivers edge, and possibly allow floodwater to pass under the outer spans. There are footpaths / cycleways on both banks of the river, passing under the bridge.


The Old Bridge

Looking across the old bridge

The old bridge across the River Almond dates back to 1827. It again consists of three spans, although with very wide, shallow arches which suggest at first glance that the bridge is considerably more recent. The roadway is a very wide S2, albeit now reduced to almost single track by a row of boulders, blocking off the eastern half of the bridge. The bridge remains open as access to Berthapark Farm and cottages, with their old direct access to the A9 closed up.

The bridge is considered to be a very fine, early example of shallow semi-elliptical arches, where the centre of the arch is almost flat. The stones of the arch rings are carefully sized to cater for the varying loads, and shaped to transfer the loads into the piers. The piers are surprisingly slender, and protected by substantial cutwaters, with shallow pilasters rising up to parapet level. There is also a substantial cornice running across the top of the arches roughly at road level.




Almond Bridge
Related Pictures
View gallery (3)
New-almond-br1.jpgAlmond-br1.jpgAlmond-br2.jpg


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