The Tradeston Bridge, or as it is affectionately known by locals, "The Squiggly Bridge" is a bit of a delight. It's a footbridge, one of the few along the Clyde that connect the city centre with the South side. Even apart from it offering access between the two areas, it's the perfect spot for a photo opportunity, especially on those rare but wonderful sunny days.
From a distance its suspension elements are pleasingly angular. Great triangles rising up in contrast to the Clyde Arc, the Kingston Bridge and the King George V bridge (the Clyde has a lot of crossings, at least 20). On the bridge itself there's a very different geometry to enjoy, the "squiggly" moniker comes from the extended s-shape that forms the footpath. Apparently it's supposed to reminiscent of waves, and as such reflects the water which is crosses, so it's high art, I guess?
Don't let the elegant design fool you though. It's sturdy, coming in at a clean 25 tonnes all by itself. With the recent trend of clamp love locks to it, we can probably round that up to... 25.004 tonnes. Nothing to worry about just yet, then. read more