Victoria Swing Bridge

The Victoria Swing Bridge is a swing bridge in Leith, Edinburgh.HistoryThe dock upstream from the bridge was begun in 1833, but financial troubles meant it was only finished between 1869 and 1875, and is nearly rectangular with a quayage of and an area of. The bridge was built between 1871 and 1874 to service the new docks. It was engineered by Rendel and Robertson, with J. H. Bostock as resident engineer. McDonald & Grant were contractors for the foundations, and the bridge was built by the Skerne Iron Works. The works cost around.Until the opening of the Kincardine Bridge in 1936, it is thought to have been the longest swing bridge in Britain.After restoration, it was reopened on 22 November 2000 by Eric Milligan, Lord Provost of Edinburgh.DesignIt was long in total, with a clear span of, and a roadway width of. The bridge was constructed from wrought iron, and weighed, including of timber decking and of kentledge counterweight. The bridge carried two tracks of a dock railway and a road, and there are footpaths on either side outside the truss structure. The tracks and roadway have now been removed, and the bridge has a wooden deck.The bridge was powered hydraulically by a power station just to the north. It swung to the north, and the space afforded for the counterbalance can still be seen.It has been succeeded by a new bridge further downstream, which carries a roadway known as Ocean Drive.