Thomas Telford must be turning in his grave. Only 16 months after it opened, it has been announced that the £20 million Clyde Arc, aka the Squinty Bridge, will be closed for six months for repairs.
The first new bridge over the Glasgow river for 30 years, it links Finnieston to Pacific Quay. When it opened Steven Purcell, the leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "This is an iconic structure and a symbol of the ongoing regeneration of the Clyde." And Iain Salisbury, the project's director, said: "The setting of the bridge makes its visual appeal vitally important. The final blueprint is a simple, classic design which reflects Glasgow's reputation as a city with style."
Great. It's just a pity it was only open a year and a bit before one of its cables went ping and another one developed a crack. All very Glasgow With Style Over Substance.
But we shouldn't be surprised. A neighbour of the Squinty Bridge is the Troubled Tower at the Glasgow Science Centre. The 127 metre high building cost £10m and, since it opened in 2001, has been plagued by safety and engineering problems, the latest being a breakdown in 2005 when 10 people were trapped in one of the lifts for five hours. It only opens on special occasions now - when winds drop below 3mph and there is a Z in the month.
It's like a bad joke - a country famed for engineering, architecture and science and that gave birth to the likes of Telford, James Watt, Alexander Fleming and Robert Adam, can't build a tower or a wee bridge over a river. We are, however, very good at erecting hideous shopping centres and housing estates, usually on flood plains.
Of course, it's not just Glasgow that seems incapable of building anything that works. I've three little words to send a shiver down your spine: Scottish parliament building. At a cost of £430m, it finally opened in 2004, massively behind schedule and over budget. John Campbell, QC, the counsel to Lord Fraser's inquiry into the project, said the scheme suffered a management failure of "gigantic proportions". Civil servants, politicians and the construction managers of the project were among those criticised.
But at least it was well-built, wasn't it? Well, until a 12-foot beam came loose in the debating chamber in 2006 and dangled precariously (and tantalisingly) above the Conservative MSPs' seats. Just a bit of snagging, really.
Scotland is home to some amazing architecture, both ancient and modern. The Holyrood building, despite its problems and catalogue of criticism, has won a raft of design awards. It's just a pity that it's the high-profile schemes that seem to go bricks-up.
The next big public project will be Glasgow's attempt to tart itself up and provide the facilities for the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
According to the 2014 website, the city has planned "a new community on the banks of the famous River Clyde. Not just a place to sleep but a place to live - a place that sums up the whole games experience After the games, the village will be a lasting legacy for Glasgow".
The plans sound fantastic, and an inspiration for all. I just hope Glasgow can pull it off without mishap. It would also be rather nice if the Squinty Bridge, could be fixed for the occasion.
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