Waverley Bridge, Road bridge and category A listed building in central Edinburgh, Scotland.
Waverley Bridge is a road crossing in central Edinburgh that spans the former Nor' Loch valley and connects Market Street in the Old Town with Princes Street in the New Town. The structure combines stone and steel and is listed as a Category A building, with its design integrated into the roof of Waverley Railway Station below.
The current structure was built between 1894 and 1896 by engineers Blyth and Westland, replacing an earlier crossing. Its integration with the railway station roof came about as part of a major reshaping of the area during the Victorian period.
The bridge links Edinburgh's medieval Old Town with the Georgian New Town, creating a visual passage between two distinct periods of architecture. Walking across, you notice how the irregular stone buildings on one side give way to the ordered, symmetrical facades on the other.
The bridge is primarily for pedestrians and cyclists, as vehicle access has been restricted since 2020. It offers direct entry to Waverley Station situated directly beneath the structure.
An unusual architectural feature is how the bridge structure merges with the railway station roof, allowing pedestrians to observe trains passing beneath their feet. This was an innovative solution to save space in a densely built city.
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