THE design of a new bridge linking Govan and Partick has been revealed.

Once final plans are complete and a planning application approved, the bridge would be expected to be finished in the summer of 2021.

The footbridge is part of wider plans to regenerate the two areas, in particular making the West End's shopping, culture and education opportunities in walking distance of Govan.

It will span from Water Row in Govan on the south bank to an extended quay wall on the north bank of the river adjacent to the Riverside Museum - a crossing of approximately 110 metres.

And the bridge will be one of the largest opening footbridges in Europe, with an opening main span of 63 metres to let through larger boats such as the Waverley.

Councillor Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council and chairwoman of the Glasgow City Region City Deal Cabinet, said: “The bridge connecting Govan and Partick will see the West End and the south side of the river reconnected, opening up new opportunities for these communities. 

"The development of the Waterfront and West End Innovation Quarter stretching from Byres Road and the University of Glasgow over to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital will see the bridge and the areas around it at the very heart of what promises to be a key area of growth for the city."

Council bosses say the alignment of the bridge at the east bank of the river is in line with the historic route taken by vessels crossing the river up-stream of the River Kelvin.

Views of the Riverside Museum will not be blocked thanks to an extended quay wall.

But the large opening span means the Govan-Partick crossing faces technical challenges.

Architects have settled on a cable-stayed swing bridge as the most elegant solution that will meet technical requirements while enhancing local landmarks and maximising views of and from the bridge deck.

Its pylons are inspired by the historic riverside cranes that once lined the quayside and should compliment the architecture of Zaha Hadid’s Riverside Museum.

Ground investigation works at the site are now complete and the final design will be developed over the next six months with a planning application likely to be submitted in summer 2019.

The work will be tendered around the turn of the year, with appointment of the contractor to build the bridge expected in Spring 2020.

Construction work is due to take place between Summer 2020 and Summer 2021.

In 2015, Glasgow City Council hosted a charrette - a public meeting or workshop looking at design and planning - to look at the regeneration of Govan and Partick.

One of the key themes from the charrette process was community support for a bridge as a means of re-establishing the historical connections between the communities.

The council secured just under £114million of City Deal funding for the Waterfront and West End Innovation Quarter project.

Extending from the city centre along the river corridor through Govan to the area around the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), the bridge also extends to the north to include Glasgow University campus.

The council hopes that by creating an easy link between the economic assets - such as the university, Pacific Quay's media quarter, the SEC and the QEUH, more deprived areas will be able to benefit.

It will from part of a new active travel route from the University Campus on the north bank to QEUH on the south. The proposed bridge is already acting as a catalyst for development with the University of Glasgow exploring the creation of a new Waterfront Innovation Campus on vacant and derelict land to the north of the new QEUH.

The Bridge will also help establish a cross-river Cultural Quarter linking key assets such as the Riverside Museum and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum on the North Bank to Govan Old Parish Church and Fairfield Heritage Centre on the South Bank.

A new footbridge across the River Kelvin, provided by Glasgow Harbour Limited as a condition of their proposed development, will also link to the Govan-Partick crossing.

This will provide a new route to Partick Interchange, the fifth-busiest transport hub in Scotland.

The bridge will also link to an improved walking/cycling route up Ferry Road/Bunhouse Road towards Partick Cross and Glasgow University's campus.