If you’re trying to work out what Renfrew Bridge is or how to use it, here’s the quick answer: it’s a new swing bridge across the River Clyde connecting Renfrew on the south bank with Yoker and Clydebank on the north bank. It opened to the public on 9 May 2025, replacing the old Renfrew to Yoker passenger ferry, and it carries cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, though it does close from time to time to let ships pass.
This guide covers everything from how the bridge works and what it cost, to when it closes, how to get updates, and whether there’s a bus service across it, since that last part has changed only in the past few weeks.
What is Renfrew Bridge and where is it?
Renfrew Bridge is a 184-metre, twin-leaf, cable-stayed swing bridge spanning the River Clyde, according to figures published by the Scottish Futures Trust. It links Meadowside Street in Renfrew on the south bank with Dock Street in Yoker and Clydebank on the north bank, sitting right on the boundary between Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, and West Dunbartonshire council areas.
It’s the first opening road bridge ever built across the Clyde, and the first new road crossing on the river since the Clyde Arc (the “Squinty Bridge”) opened in 2006, per the BBC. The 12.3-metre-wide deck carries two traffic lanes plus separate footpaths and cycleways on both sides, so you’re not sharing space with cars if you’re walking or cycling across.
Why was Renfrew Bridge built?
Before the bridge, the only way across the Clyde in this stretch was a small passenger ferry, a 13-mile drive to the nearest bridge, or a lengthy detour through the Clyde Tunnel, according to project documentation from Hardesty & Hanover. Renfrew Bridge was built as the centrepiece of the Clyde Waterfront and Renfrew Riverside project, a scheme identified as a priority in the 2019 Glasgow City Region Deal.
The idea was simple: give people and businesses on both banks a direct, reliable link, supporting new housing, jobs, and access to services like the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, without relying on a small boat that only carried up to 12 people at a time.
How much did Renfrew Bridge cost and who built it?
The bridge cost around £117 million, funded through the wider £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region Deal and led by Renfrewshire Council, according to reporting from the Clydebank Post. Construction was delivered by GRAHAM, with movable bridge engineering by Hardesty & Hanover and ROD, and the steel spans were fabricated in the Netherlands and Belgium before being shipped to Scotland by barge.
Early cost estimates back when the project was first proposed were closer to £50 million, so the final figure roughly doubled by completion, reflecting the scale and complexity of building a moving structure over a working river.
Renfrew Bridge design: how the swing mechanism works
This isn’t a simple fixed crossing. Renfrew Bridge uses a “bobtail” double-leaf swing design, meaning each half of the bridge pivots open independently, powered by gear-driven hydraulic systems, according to engineering details from ROD. Each pivot uses a 6.7-metre diameter slewing bearing, and the spans can open to an angle of 110 degrees to let ships pass through underneath.
The design deliberately echoes the area’s shipbuilding heritage and uses a cable-stay system similar in style to the Queensferry Crossing over the Forth. Because the River Clyde is still used by BAE Systems’ shipyards further upstream at Scotstoun and Govan, a fixed bridge simply wasn’t an option here.
When does Renfrew Bridge close?
This is the question most people searching for Renfrew Bridge actually want answered, and it’s worth getting right. The bridge closes to road traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians whenever it needs to swing open for a vessel to pass, most often during high tide when commercial shipping moves along the river.
Closures aren’t on a fixed daily timetable. Instead, Renfrewshire Council publishes upcoming closure times on its website as vessel movements are confirmed, and updates can appear at short notice. McGill’s Buses has noted that openings tend to be more frequent over summer, partly to accommodate seasonal vessels such as the paddle steamer Waverley.
How to check if Renfrew Bridge is open
There are three reliable ways to check before you travel:
- Visit the closures page on the Renfrewshire Council website, which lists any planned closures along with a note that times are approximate and subject to short-notice change.
- Join the official Renfrew Bridge WhatsApp channel for closure alerts sent directly to your phone.
- Check Peel Ports’ vessel arrival and departure information, since bridge openings are driven by shipping movements on the Clyde.
If the bridge is closed when you arrive, you’ll need to wait until it swings back into position, or take an alternative route.
Getting across Renfrew Bridge: driving, walking and cycling
For drivers, the bridge carries two traffic lanes and connects into the new road network around Meadowside Street on the Renfrew side and Dock Street on the Clydebank side. There’s no toll to use it.
Walking and cycling routes run the full length of the bridge on both sides, and they link into the wider National Cycle Network, plus a direct route towards Yoker train station on the north bank. If you’re cycling from Glasgow city centre, this now offers a more direct option than looping round via the Clyde Tunnel.
What to do if the bridge is closed
If you’re caught out by a closure, the two main alternative crossings are the Erskine Bridge to the west or the Clyde Tunnel to the east, both of which stay open regardless of river traffic. Local councillor Malcolm Mitchell has pointed out that without the bridge, this stretch of the Clyde had no public transport crossing at all for around seven miles between those two points, which shows how significant the gap was before Renfrew Bridge opened.
Is there a bus service across Renfrew Bridge?
For over a year after the bridge opened, the honest answer was no. First Bus stated it couldn’t run services across the bridge because of the unpredictability of closures, and the loss of the old ferry left a genuine public transport gap between Clydebank and Renfrew, as reported by the Clydebank Post in June 2025.
That changed on 13 July 2026, when McGill’s Buses launched a new pilot route, Service 24, running hourly Monday to Saturday between Clydebank, Braehead, and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital via Renfrew Bridge, according to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. When the bridge is closed for shipping, buses on this route terminate on the south side rather than crossing, and passengers are advised to combine services 23 and 757 as a workaround during closures.
McGill’s has said it’s working with Renfrewshire Council, which runs Renfrew Bridge Control, to get live bridge-opening data feeding directly into its app, so passengers can check in real time before they travel.
Renfrew Bridge vs the old Renfrew Ferry
The Renfrew to Yoker Ferry had operated for around 100 years, crossing the Clyde without public subsidy and carrying up to 12 passengers at a time, according to the BBC. It closed for good on 31 May 2025, just weeks after the bridge opened, once passenger numbers dropped to a level operator Clydelink said was no longer viable.
There’s a genuine trade-off here worth knowing about if you used the old ferry regularly. The ferry was closer to Renfrew town centre and never closed for shipping, while the bridge is a short walk further out but occasionally unavailable when vessels need to pass. Council figures cited by the Scottish Futures Trust recorded one million bridge crossings within just four months of opening, suggesting most people have adapted well despite the closures.
FAQs
When did Renfrew Bridge open?
Renfrew Bridge opened to the public on 9 May 2025, connecting Renfrew with Yoker and Clydebank across the River Clyde. It replaced the historic Renfrew to Yoker Ferry, which stopped running on 31 May 2025.
How long is Renfrew Bridge?
The bridge has a longest span of 184 metres and a deck width of 12.3 metres, carrying two traffic lanes alongside separate walking and cycling paths, according to Wikipedia and Hardesty & Hanover’s project details.
Is there a toll to cross Renfrew Bridge?
No, Renfrew Bridge is free to use for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. There’s no charge to cross in either direction.
Why does Renfrew Bridge close sometimes?
It closes to let ships pass along the River Clyde, since the river is still used for shipbuilding traffic further upstream. Closures aren’t on a fixed schedule and are published in advance where possible on the Renfrewshire Council website.
Is there a bus across Renfrew Bridge?
Yes, since 13 July 2026 McGill’s Buses has run Service 24, an hourly pilot route linking Clydebank, Braehead, and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital via the bridge. Before that, no operator ran a scheduled service across it for over a year.
How much did Renfrew Bridge cost to build?
The project cost around £117 million, funded as part of the wider £1.13 billion Glasgow City Region Deal and led by Renfrewshire Council. Initial estimates when the bridge was first proposed were closer to £50 million.
What happened to the Renfrew Ferry?
The Renfrew to Yoker Ferry closed on 31 May 2025 after passenger numbers dropped sharply following the bridge’s opening. It had run for around 100 years without public subsidy before ceasing operations.
What’s the alternative if Renfrew Bridge is closed?
The Erskine Bridge and the Clyde Tunnel are the nearest alternative crossings, and both remain open regardless of river traffic. Checking the Renfrewshire Council closures page or the bridge’s WhatsApp channel before you travel is the best way to avoid getting caught out.
