Kincardine on Forth Bridge
| Kincardine on Forth Bridge | |
| Stirlingshire, Perthshire | |
|---|---|
 The Kincardine Bridge | |
| Location | |
| Type: | Swing bridge |
| Carrying: | A985 road |
| Crossing: | River Forth |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NS92568716 |
| Location: | 56°3’55"N, 3°43’38"W |
| Structure | |
| Length: | 2,697 feet Main span: 364 feet |
| Type: | Swing bridge |
| History | |
| Built 1932-1936 | |
| Architect: | Donald Watson |
| Information | |
The Kincardine on Forth Bridge is a road bridge which carries the A985 across the broad River Forth just downstream of the Clackmannanshire Bridge. It runs from Stirlingshire (at a point just south of Airth) to Kincardine on Forth in a detached part of Perthshire isolated between Clackmannanshire and Fife.
History
The bridge was constructed between 1932 and 1936, to a design by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, Consulting Engineers,[1] and architect, Donald Watson. It was the first road crossing of the River Forth downstream of Stirling, completed nearly thirty years before the Forth Road Bridge, which today stands 15 miles to the south-east.
The bridge was constructed with a swinging central section which remained in use until 1988, that would allow larger ships to sail upstream to the small port at Alloa.
The bridge is part of the A985 road (formerly A876), and carries a single lane in each direction. Until the opening of the Clackmannanshire Bridge in 2008, it was the customary diversion route for traffic north from Edinburgh and the eastern counties when the Forth Road Bridge was closed or under repair. As a result of the additional traffic using the bridge at these times, joining the high volume of regular commuter traffic, the town of Kincardine was frequently congested.
Second bridge
The original bridge, at over 70 years old, was showing its age the limits of its design. The new Clackmannanshire Bridge[2] was opened on 19 November 2008.[3]
The original bridge was given Category A listed status in 2005,[4][5] and was closed temporarily for upgrading works in 2011.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Kincardine on Forth Bridge) |
- The Kincardine Bridge on SABRE
- Kincardine Local History Group – Wonders of World Engineering Article detailing the construction of Kincardine Bridge
- Gazetteer for Scotland
- – video clip of what the new road and crossing will be like
References
- ↑ Juliet Barnes (4 July 2013). The Ghosts of Happy Valley: Searching for the Lost World of Africa's Infamous Aristocrats. Aurum Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-78131-139-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=3yvBAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA2.
- ↑ BBC news report, 1 October 2008
- ↑ Scottish Government, 'New bridge over Forth opens'.
- ↑ "Kincardine bridge swings to future Crossing built for car boom given listed protection". http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12495543.Kincardine_bridge_swings_to_future_Crossing_built_for_car_boom_given_listed_protection/. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
- ↑ Kincardine Bridge (Category A) - Listing detail (Historic Environment Scotland)
| Bridges and crossings on the River Forth | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambuskenneth Bridge | Taylorton Bridge | Clackmannanshire Bridge | Kincardine on Forth Bridge | Queensferry Crossing | Forth Road Bridge | Forth Bridge |