Geeking out
Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2020 11:02 pm
I’ve followed @GlasgowsMways on twitter for some time. They post some fabulous historic images of (this may surprise you) the Glasogow motorway network.
If you’ve never been to Glasgow (or even if you have and weren’t paying much attention) you won’t appreciate how amazing the motorway system is. Cutting right through the heart of the city allows (relatively) easy access to the place, and/or painless passing through - should you be worried about your wheels being stolen at the lights etc
Hugely controversial as the demolition and compulsory purchase orders pushed through in the 60’s that allowed this certainly would not be approved today, and some communities were allegedly split apart.
The account has been focusing on the Kingston Bridge for the last couple of weeks. It is 50yrs old in a couple of days. A huge motorway bridge that crosses the Clyde. I’ve learned only recently that the Kingston Bridge Is actually two Kingston Bridges. Separate 5-lane motorway superstructure that sit side by side - tied together after construction.
I’ve spent 2hrs listening to podcasts over the last couple of weeks going into huge detail. Main bloke is clearly V knowledgeable in civil eng and has great insights and historical knowledge.
Novelties like under-surface heating - flakey when new, ruined by cost-cutting salting of the roads.
The bridge suffered some significant salt-related structural issues and needed huge remedial works. Essentially leaning on one side. After it was leaked in the press, I remember driving over the always-closed expansion joints at one end, and the beyond-open (by a couple of cm) expansion joints at the other. I clearly recall the furore back in the day (and the lane closures to limit traffic loads) but had no idea the solution involved new temporary jacking plynths, lifting the entire 560,000 tonnes of bridge(s) onto hundreds of computer controlled jacks, destruction of the original supports and leaving it on the jacks for 10months (adjusting their lift to suit traffic levels) before raising the level a bit, pushing the entire thing 3cm to the side, constructing new supports, and dropping it back down. As you do. The motorway closures to allow this were minimal - days. Amazing.
It’s funny having a new appreciation for something that seems so familiar in your home city. Super geeky, but really fascinating.
TL; DR - sorry - I geek out.
If you’ve never been to Glasgow (or even if you have and weren’t paying much attention) you won’t appreciate how amazing the motorway system is. Cutting right through the heart of the city allows (relatively) easy access to the place, and/or painless passing through - should you be worried about your wheels being stolen at the lights etc
Hugely controversial as the demolition and compulsory purchase orders pushed through in the 60’s that allowed this certainly would not be approved today, and some communities were allegedly split apart.
The account has been focusing on the Kingston Bridge for the last couple of weeks. It is 50yrs old in a couple of days. A huge motorway bridge that crosses the Clyde. I’ve learned only recently that the Kingston Bridge Is actually two Kingston Bridges. Separate 5-lane motorway superstructure that sit side by side - tied together after construction.
I’ve spent 2hrs listening to podcasts over the last couple of weeks going into huge detail. Main bloke is clearly V knowledgeable in civil eng and has great insights and historical knowledge.
Novelties like under-surface heating - flakey when new, ruined by cost-cutting salting of the roads.
The bridge suffered some significant salt-related structural issues and needed huge remedial works. Essentially leaning on one side. After it was leaked in the press, I remember driving over the always-closed expansion joints at one end, and the beyond-open (by a couple of cm) expansion joints at the other. I clearly recall the furore back in the day (and the lane closures to limit traffic loads) but had no idea the solution involved new temporary jacking plynths, lifting the entire 560,000 tonnes of bridge(s) onto hundreds of computer controlled jacks, destruction of the original supports and leaving it on the jacks for 10months (adjusting their lift to suit traffic levels) before raising the level a bit, pushing the entire thing 3cm to the side, constructing new supports, and dropping it back down. As you do. The motorway closures to allow this were minimal - days. Amazing.
It’s funny having a new appreciation for something that seems so familiar in your home city. Super geeky, but really fascinating.
TL; DR - sorry - I geek out.