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Conon Bridge

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Conon Bridge
Drochaid Sguideil
Location Map ( geo)
A862 Conon Bridge - aerial.jpg
Cameraicon.png View gallery (8)
From:  Maryburgh
To:  Conon Bridge
Location
Conon Bridge
County
Ross-shire
Highway Authority
Highland
Opening Date
1809, 1969
Additional Information
Bridge Type:  Girder
On road(s)
A862
Crossings related to the A862
Crossings related to the Moray Firth Tourist Route

The small town of Conon Bridge was effectively founded after the construction of a bridge across the River Conon in 1809 by Thomas Telford in his role with the Commission for Highland Roads and Bridges.

The old bridge

This is where the old bridge once crossed

Whilst the old bridge may have been demolished 40 years ago, there are still some hints of it in the village. It was sited slightly further upstream to the current crossing, and was at right angles to the river banks, unlike the modern skewed structure. The south eastern end landed in the trees immediately next to the road, while the north western end can still be found in the turning bay at the end of Wrightfield Park. Indeed, the cottage here may even suggest that the bridge was originally tolled. For clarity, the modern pipe-bridge lies a little further upstream again.

It appears that Telford's bridge was a five-arch stone structure, with a narrow carriageway which took 3 years to build.

The current bridge

The new bridge across the Conon was opened in 1969, and was designed to carry the heavy traffic levels of the A9 as it headed north. Obviously, since the opening of the Kessock Bridge in 1982 the A9 has been re-routed to the east, leaving the much quieter traffic of the A862 to use the bridge.

The bridge itself is a 3-span steel girder bridge with concrete deck. The two intermediate concrete piers stand in the water of the main river channel. Perhaps ironically, this modern bridge only needed to serve the A9 for 13 years, and has now been further bypassed by the new bridge further east that carries the A835. The A9 is even further east again on the Cromarty Bridge.




Conon Bridge
Related Pictures
View gallery (8)
Conon-br1.jpgConon-br2.jpgConon-br3.jpgA9 Inverness bypass under construction..jpgA862 Conon Bridge - three bridges aerial from West.jpg
Crossings of the Rivers Conon and Tributaries
River CononScatwell Bridge • Moy Bridge • Conon Bridge • Maryburgh Bridge • Cromarty Firth Bridge
River BranLuib Bridge (Ledgowan) • Ledgowan Bridge • Bridge of Grudie
Black WaterTorrandhu Bridge • Black Bridge • Inchbae Bridge • Garbat Bridge • Silver Bridge (Garve) • Little Garve Bridge • Blackwater Bridge • Contin Bridge
Rivers Orrin and MeigBridgend Bridge • Meig Dam • Aultgowrie Bridge • Aultgowrie Orrin Bridge • Orrin Bridge

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