Dalmarnock Bridge

History

The current Dalmarnock Bridge is the fourth known to have spanned the Clyde at this point. All of the predecessors were built of wood, however, which gave them a short lifespan. The first bridge replaced a ford and was built in 1820/1, but by the mid 1840s it was apparently in a poor condition, and so it was replaced by a second timber bridge in 1848. This lasted a little longer before being taken down in 1887 to make way for the current bridge. During construction, a third timber bridge was erected as a temporary crossing point.

The Bridge

The current bridge consists of 5 spans across the Clyde, using steel girders resting on stone piers founded in the river bed. The piers extend up the sides of the decorative fascia panels and form part of the parapets, with lamp columns mounted atop. The bridge carries Dalmarnock Road, now the A749. This is a busy, wide S2 road with pavements on either side. A row of bollards runs just inside the kerbstones, reducing the width of the pavements on either side. At the southern end, a small art installation appears to be sited in a viewing area for the bridge, but the trees have been allowed to grow too big and so obscure the view.