THE opening date of a new £30 million bridge over the River Clyde in Glasgow has been announced.
The Govan-Partick Bridge, which crosses from Water Row on the south side to Pointhouse Quay on the north, will formally be opened at a ceremony on Friday, September 6, with representatives from the Scottish and UK governments as well as Glasgow council.
The bridge will then be opened to the public on Saturday, September 7 – when a free festival will also be held to mark the occasion.
Construction began in April 2022 and was jointly funded by the Scottish and UK governments through the Glasgow City Region City Deal. Each government committed £500 million in total, while local authorities added £130m.
Glasgow council said that the bridge is one of the longest opening pedestrian/cycle bridges in Europe, with a width of six metres and two spans – the moving span, which weighs 650 tonnes, is 99 metres long and uses the South Pier (at Water Row) as its access; and the fixed span, which weighs 45 tonnes and is 15.7 metres long.
Glasgow Council leader Susan Aitken said: "September will be a milestone in the modern history of these two great communities. It will also be a milestone for Glasgow and the wider city-region.
“Our riverside and the communities either side of it are home to the biggest economic opportunities in Europe, but also many of Scotland's biggest social challenges. Reconnecting Govan and Partick can help unlock the potential along the Clyde, create more opportunities for the people who live and work there, and continue the transformation of these areas.
“Glaswegians often tell us how they would like to see the Clyde having a more prominent role in the life of the city. This new riverside landmark does just that."
SNP Investment Minister Tom Arthur said: "The Govan-Partick Bridge will unlock opportunities for people living on both sides of the River Clyde.
“It will link up existing walking and cycling routes in Govan and Partick and enable more businesses to trade across the river to drive growth in western Glasgow."
The opening of the bridge will be marked on September 7 by a free one-off festival called the Govan Footbridge Festival.
The multi-genre, unticketed festival will take place between 10am and 8pm, and see Govan Road closed off for the day, with performances taking place across the whole of Govan Cross, as well as at the Footbridge Plaza next to the Govan entrance of the footbridge.
Acts booked to perform across two outdoor stages include The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Horse McDonald, Colonel Mustard and the Dijon Five, Shooglenifty, and singer-songwriter Ben Walker.
Local school choirs, The Gilded Lilies singing group, Govan Allsorts Community Choir, and the award-winning Musicians in Exile will also perform.
Paul MacAlindin, the organiser of the Govan Footbridge Festival, said: “The opening of the new Govan-Partick Bridge is a fantastic opportunity for the communities on either side of the Clyde to come together.
“Historically, you could wade across the Clyde at low tide, before the ship building industry widened and deepened the river. Now, folk from both sides can explore each other’s neighbourhoods once more.”
Ricky Bell, the depute leader of Glasgow City Council and a Govan councillor, said: “September 7 will indeed be a great day for both Govan and Partick, and I am delighted that the public opening will be marked on the Govan side by the Footbridge Festival.
“The festival has a fantastic programme of music and events on Govan Road, at Govan Cross and the Plaza beside the bridge that the people of Govan and our visitors can look forward to.”
