Redheugh Bridge (old)

The Redheugh Bridge is marked as a Toll Bridge on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey plan. This was a steel truss bridge, built in 1870 to the design of Thomas Bouch, and demolished in 1901. Thirty years after construction the Bridge Company decided to reconstruct it, and placed the work in the hands of their engineers Messrs J.W Sandeman & Moncrieff. The four original cylinders in each pier were replaced by four circular steel cylinders sunk under pneumatic pressure down to a satisfactory foundation. The cylinders had an external diameter of 8 feet, and had an inner tube 3 feet in diameter. At the bottom of the cylinder the inner tube sloped outwards to meet the outer tube, thus forming a working chamber for the men employed in sinking the cylinder. The steel trusses of the new bridge were built alongside the trusses of the original bridge, and afterwards moved into position. The use of the bridge by foot passengers was practically uninterrupted and vehicular traffic was interrupted for a few weeks only.