New Thurso River Footbridge

[Mystical Potato Head]

The new bridge up is making progress,soon be able to do the riverside walk properly.Its a lot wider than the previous one.
Thought it might be of interest to those of you outwith the county with fond memories of the old one.
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/sat5_photos/NewBridge.jpg

[grumpyhippo]

Big boys' meccano set!!!!!!!!!! (now where did I leave that spanner).........

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k57/grumpyhippo/footbridgeb.jpg





http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k57/grumpyhippo/DSC_0014b-2.jpg

[new driver]

The new footbridge is resting on the pillars now. Work progressing on the railings.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2549/3662681141_45103c7999_b.jpg

[silversurfer]

http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp230/grantcoghill/Cemetarybridge11July09Large.jpg

[Mystical Potato Head]

Now thats a cracker,that is one helluva size of tripod you've got. :lol:

[ANNIE]

wick river not a very clear one taken with my mobile phone some time ago
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/5549/010420093.jpg (http://img26.imageshack.us/i/010420093.jpg/)http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/010420093.jpg/1/w800.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img26/010420093.jpg/1/)

[Mystical Potato Head]

What does this have to do with the new Thurso River Footbridge?

[dragonfly]

just back from 2 weeks holiday yesterday so delighted to see that its now almost finished

here's one taken on my mobile on this mornings walk

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3439/3712956894_9640fb8fb2.jpg

[Deemac]

What does this have to do with the new Thurso River Footbridge?

MPH, Again you beat me to this very same thought. (my bottom lip is now almost gone!!) Would be good also if posters could keep reasonably on thread (and 'slightly' IN focus would also be totally marvelous!!!!)

Sorry for that rant, just did my first full wedding photo shoot yesterday so I'm getting very cross-eyed editing.:eek:

[Boozeburglar]

Good counterpoint Annie! Shows what a river can look like without a bridge.

You would think with all the engineering expertise imbued in the Caithness population due to their hot housed guinea pig status, someone would have come up with a worthy design that was functional as well as aesthetically appropriate.

It is horrendous.

Looks like a toppled pylon.

Nevertheless, that is what seems to pass muster these days in Caithness with all the turbines and towering eyesores like the one at Janetstown.

The place is over run with grand designs wannabes with not a clue, and they are all getting permission to wreak their havoc on the landscape.

Shame.

[Sporran]

I love your birdseye view, silversurfer! :cool:

ANNIE, your photo is beautiful, even if it has nothing to do with the Thurso River Footbridge. It would be perfectly at home in the Sunsets & Sunrises thread, though! :)

http://forum.caithness.org/showthread.php?t=9902&highlight=Sunsets&page=35

[veritas]

For information.

The old bridge was a traditional structure resting on beams below the walkway supported on a central pier this is what caused it to be swept away when the central pier gave way.

The new bridge uses the whole structure as a beam so in essence you are walking through the structure rather than over it this allows a greater depth of structure and enables it to be a single clear span which will protect it from future floods. the deck has also been raised higher to further protect it from flooding.

This is a fabulous design and Thurso should be proud to have such a well designed bridge over their river.

[mikey]

Veritas is absolutely right, ok, so i am a little bit biased as i did the construction drawings for it. He is slightly wrong in at there was never a central pier. It just got washed away due to age / condition, as the existing abutments were in a very poor condition. The new one has been raised by approximately half a meter, and weighs almost 20 tonnes, and is securely fixed to the new abutments at each corner, so hopefuly it wont get washed away. Im looking forward to walking over the finished bridge, crossed it when it was still under construction when there was no handrailing and a temporary deck, was scary.

[Boozeburglar]

This is a fabulous design and Thurso should be proud to have such a well designed bridge over their river.

Function over form is not the criterion for good design. It has no harmony with the surroundings, nor is it a design that stands alone as aesthetically interesting or pleasing.

Unless you happen to like crude industrial design.

[Gogglebox]

New bridge looks good, may take some of the traditionalists a while to get used to it but I like the look and the main thing is that it is secure, safe and stays in place.

[Mystical Potato Head]

Function over form is not the criterion for good design. It has no harmony with the surroundings, nor is it a design that stands alone as aesthetically interesting or pleasing.

Unless you happen to like crude industrial design.

So you dont like it,get over it.Function in this case is the most important thing .I would rather have an ugly bridge that stood up than an aesthetically pleasing one that ends up being swept down the river,not that i'm saying its ugly.
If i recall correctly the old bridge didnt stand alone as interesting or pleasing but i suppose it did eventually blend in with its surroundings when it fell into the river.

[Mik.M.]

Forgive the ignorance but what did the old bridge look like?