The Victoria Swing Bridge is a swing bridge in Leith docks, Edinburgh, Scotland, which carries a dock road (and previously twin railway lines) across the Water of Leith at a point where it is canalised as the Inner Harbour.
History
Engraving of the bridge carrying a train from around 1879
The bridge was built between 1871 and 1874 to service the new docks.[1] It was engineered by Rendel and Robertson, with J. H. Bostock as resident engineer.[1] McDonald & Grant were contractors for the foundations, and the bridge was built by the Skerne Iron Works.[1] The works cost around £30,000.[1]
Until the completion of the Kincardine Bridge, also in Scotland, in 1936, it is thought to have been the longest clear swing bridge span in Britain[1] (The Swing Bridge, River Tyne, completed two years after the Victoria Bridge, has a longer deck span).
Despite some renovation of the bridge that was completed in 2000,[3] HES put the structure on the Buildings at Risk Register in 2020 with a risk category of "Moderate". This followed reports of the poor condition of the deck, with timber rotting in places and vegetation taking hold.[4]
In 2021, Forth Ports was granted listed building consent for a full refurbishment programme, the work to include renovation of the two walkways, re-decking of the carriageway, replacement of the decked turning circle areas and repainting of the metalwork. The project would be financed by a "private six-figure investment".[5] The refurbishment was completed and the bridge officially reopened in June 2024.[6]
Completed refurbishment, 2024
Design
The footpath on the north side of the bridge
It was 212 feet (65 m) long in total, with a clear span of 120 feet (37 m), and a roadway width of 24 feet (7.3 m).[1] The bridge was constructed from wrought iron, and weighed 620 tonnes (610 long tons; 680 short tons), including 60 tonnes (59 long tons; 66 short tons) of timber decking and 240 tonnes (240 long tons; 260 short tons) of kentledge counterweight.[1] The bridge carried two tracks of a dock railway and a road, and there are footpaths on either side outside the truss structure.[1][7] The tracks and roadway have now been removed, and the bridge has a wooden deck.[7]
The bridge was powered hydraulically by a power station just to the north.[8][9] It swung to the north, and the space afforded for the counterbalance can still be seen.[9]
It has been succeeded by a new bridge further downstream, which carries a road & tramline known as Ocean Drive.[10][9]
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