City Union Bridge, Railway bridge over River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
City Union Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the River Clyde in Glasgow, featuring continuous girders with spandrel braced arches and red sandstone towers. The structure connects Queen Street and Central stations while passing through the city center.
The original structure from 1870 was completely rebuilt in 1898 to accommodate four railway tracks using advanced compressed air excavation techniques. This major reconstruction allowed the city's expanding railway network to handle increased traffic.
The bridge displays Victorian engineering with decorative cast-iron cornices, parapets, and red sandstone details that recall Glasgow's industrial past. These architectural elements shape the river's appearance and remind visitors of the city's railway heritage.
The bridge is visible and accessible from the nearby Clyde Walkway, where you can view the structure from below. The area around both stations is well-connected and easy to reach on foot.
The bridge foundations reach about 100 feet deep into the riverbed and required innovative cylinder caissons to reach solid rock. These foundation works were remarkably advanced for their time and pushed engineering boundaries significantly.
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