A series of unseen photos have been released to mark the 50th anniversary of the Erskine Bridge.
The iconic crossing over the Clyde was opened on the July 2, 1971 by HRH Princess Anne, becoming the first fixed link between West Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire.
Construction on the project began in April 1967 at a cost of £10.5m, which is the equivalent of almost £150m today.
The bridge is 1.3km in length and 30m wide, with its tallest support measuring 50m.
On April 1, 2006, the Erskine Bridge dropped its toll charges.
This came after a hard-fought campaign by Jackie Baillie MSP, West Dunbartonshire Council and local people who said that it was unfair for those whose lives straddled the bridge to be charged for using it every day.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary, Jackie Baillie has submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament, which MSPs will have the opportunity to add their signatures in support.
She said: “The Erskine Bridge is truly an icon of the west of Scotland landscape. For the last 50 years, it has allowed local people to move across the Clyde with ease – before which they had to rely on the ferry going between Erskine and Old Kilpatrick. That has given a boost to tourism and to the local economy, connecting communities and businesses in the west of Scotland.
“I have fond memories of working alongside local people from both sides of the bridge as we successfully campaigned to remove the toll charge back in 2006.
“It is a shame that we have not been able to celebrate this momentous anniversary the way that local people had planned because of Covid-19 restrictions but I very much look forward to doing so in the near future.”
Minster for Transport Graeme Dey said: “The Erskine Bridge has become an iconic landmark and was, at one point, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world.
“The crossing helped to significantly cut journey times when it opened to traffic, particularly during the busy tourist seasons. It continues to play an important role, carrying over 35,000 vehicles every day.
“The Erskine Bridge has also been listed for unique architectural and technical features, so it’s important to recognise the impact it has made in the past 50 years.”
The Glasgow Motorway Archive, in collaboration with Transport Scotland, released a number of previously unseen photos of the Erskine Bridge.
Stuart Baird from the Glasgow Motorway Archive said: “The Erskine Bridge remains ones of the most ambitious civil engineering projects ever undertaken in Scotland and has become a much-loved landmark.
“The Glasgow Motorway Archive is delighted to have unearthed previously unseen photos of its construction in time for its 50th anniversary and we look forward to sharing them, and a few other surprises, on our website and social media channels.”
