JUNE 26, 1970
Watched by cheering crowds, on this day 52 years ago, the late Queen Mother declared Glasgow’s £11.5 million Kingston Bridge open.
That night, an estimated 800 cars an hour were crossing the new structure that transformed the city. The RAC at the time reported that motorists were treating the bridge with “respect”, adding that they were “daunted no doubt by its scale and grandeur.”
He went on to caution would-be weekend sightseers that any attempt to stop, or to get out of their car, on the bridge would be dangerous.
Decades later Transport Scotland and the Glasgow Motorways Archive said the bridge had “transformed its city and vastly improved journey times” by easing congestion in Glasgow city centre and improving road safety. But the 52nd anniversary of its opening has seen Glasgow’s love affair with its bridge waning.
Today, it is Scotland’s most notorious traffic jam. The stretch of the M8 crossing the Clyde at the Kingston Bridge is more or less a constant snarl-up as £35m works to strengthen supports continue, with lanes likely to remain closed until winter next year.
The Sunday Post reported in April how experts say the bridge, which now carries up to 90,000 vehicles a day, is no longer fit for purpose. They believe it is time to replace it with sustainable and interconnected residential neighbourhoods that would promote public transport, walking and cycling.