Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton constituency, is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Erskine Bridge. The bridge was officially opened by HRH Princess Anne on 2 July 1971.

The bridge has connected communities living either side of the Clyde for the last 50 years and was partly built as a way of diverting traffic which was heading for Loch Lomond away from the congested West End of Glasgow.

On 1^st April 2006, the Erskine Bridge dropped its toll charges. This came after a hard fought campaign by Jackie Baillie MSP, West Dunbartonshire Council and local people who said that it was unfair for those whose lives straddled the bridge to be charged for using it every day.

To celebrate the anniversary, Jackie Baillie has submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament, which MSPs will have the opportunity to add their signatures in support.

Jackie Baillie MSP said:

“The Erskine Bridge is truly an icon of the West of Scotland landscape. For the last 50 years, it has allowed local people to move across the Clyde with ease – before which they had to rely on the ferry going between Erskine and Old Kilpatrick. That has given a boost to tourism and to the local economy, connecting communities and businesses in the West of Scotland.

“I have fond memories of working alongside local people from both sides of the bridge as we successfully campaigned to remove the toll charge back in 2006.

“It is a shame that we have not been able to celebrate this momentous anniversary the way that local people had planned because of COVID-19 restrictions but I very much look forward to doing so in the near future.”