Leamington Lift Bridge
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The Leamington Lift Bridge is a
lift bridge A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and swi ...
that crosses the Union Canal near its terminus at
Lochrin Basin Lochrin is a small area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is in the south-west corner of the city centre, to the west of Tollcross, Edinburgh, Tollcross, and south of Fountainbridge. Lochrin contains a wide mixture of retail shops, lei ...
in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
.


History

The bridge was installed around 1906 where
Fountainbridge Fountainbridge is a former industrial district in Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the Old Town. It is built around the street of the same name, which begins at the West Port and continues (as Dundee Street) towards Gorgie and Da ...
crossed the canal replacing a previous bridge built in 1869. When the canal was shortened in 1922 to make Lochrin Basin the terminus it was moved to its present site to replace a wooden drawbridge. It fell out of use by the 1960s, but as part of the Millennium Link project to restore the Union Canal, it required to be restored at least to allow boats to pass. A report published in the year 2000 had suggested fixing it permanently open, but the decision was taken to restore it to full working order. The restoration involved removing the deck and the top member of the bridge to access the inner workings. It opened for the first time on 16 May 2002, followed by an official opening ceremony on 24 May. In July 2021, a Red Wheel plaque was unveiled at the bridge. Red Wheel plaques are installed by the National Transport Trust to identify sites of significant transport heritage. The one at the bridge is the first to be awarded on a Scottish canal.


Design

The bridge is constructed from a wooden deck that can be raised between two gantries to give a clearance of below. The bridge crosses between Gilmore Park and Leamington Road, but is not open to cars. A permanent lattice girder footbridge allows pedestrians to cross when the deck is raised. It is formed from riveted steel, with more substantial columns on the southern side where the motors and counterbalances are housed. The bridge can be opened by canal users after appropriate training from Scottish Canals. It is only the width of a single canal boat.


References

{{commons category Bridges in Edinburgh Category B listed buildings in Edinburgh Listed bridges in Scotland Bridges completed in 1906 1906 establishments in Scotland Vertical lift bridges in the United Kingdom Fountainbridge National Transport Trust Red Wheel sites