Kylesku Bridge

In June 1978, the Highland Regional Council asked Ove Arup & Partners Scotland to prepare a feasibility study for a bridge, in their capacity as consulting civil engineers, and it was prepared by March 1979. Construction for the approach roads, costing £4 million, began in summer 1981. Construction of the bridge began in August 1982, with Morrison Construction and Lehane, Mackenzie and Shand the chief contractors. The cost of the bridge was £4 million, although was earlier budgeted at £2.75 million. The bridge opened to traffic in July 1984, and was formally opened by the Queen on 8 August 1984. In 2019, the bridge was classified by Historic Environment Scotland as a Category A structure, recognising it as "visually striking and technically innovative". It was also officially renamed to the Gaelic translation of its name, ''Drochaid a' Chaolais Chumhaing''. ==Geography==

The bridge crosses water which is approximately wide and up to deep, leading to fast tidal currents. It replaced the ferry between Kylesku and Kylestrome, which was approximately to the east. ==Design==

The bridge is long with a main span. The bridge deck is at a height of above high water to provide navigation for ships. The bridge deck is supported by V-shaped inclined piers, with eight inclined legs, in order to reduce the length of the main span. The lateral forces from each leg balance, so the total force on the foundations is vertically downwards. The spread of legs supports the bridge in winds which can exceed , and also loads resulting from the curvature of the bridge. There is no joint between the legs and the deck of the bridge, with the expansion joints and bearings being located at the abutments to facilitate straightforward maintenance. The legs are formed from reinforced concrete and the deck from prestressed concrete using cables tensioned at up to 52,200 kN. The bridge is designed to be sympathetic to the surrounding country, and the approaches were chosen to minimise changes to the landscape. ==References==