Borrodale Viaduct
Borrodale Burn Viaduct
This monument to concrete engineering earned for its contractor Robert McAlpine the nickname "Concrete Bob". The viaduct carries the Fort William - Mallaig West Highland Extension Railway over the Borrodale Burn.
1901 Opened to traffic. A 3-span unreinforced, mass concrete viaduct, with central 127 ft 6 ins (38.8m) span flanked by single 20 ft (6.1m) spans. In its day this was the longest mass-concrete span in the world, twice the span of any existing arch at the time. The design of the bridge was governed by the requirements of the owner of Arisaig House.
In 1897-1901, engineers Simpson and Wilson made pioneering use of mass concrete, producing for the North British Railway's 40 mile West Highland Line extension a series of bridges, culverts, platforms, retaining walls, 11 tunnels and six viaducts, which have defied corrosion.
See Also
Sources of Information
- Scotlands Places [1]