IRVINE’S new bridge was opened for business two days earlier than planned on Sunday, 18 April 2010.
Drivers can breathe a sigh of relief as their six mile detour to reach the less-than-a-mile Merryvale Roundabout is no more.
Pupils at Loudoun-Montgomery Primary School have been tasked with coming up with a name for the bridge to be revealed at the official opening next month.
It’s estimated that 16,000 vehicles a day will travel across the bridge.
The giant blue bridge, being hailed as “iconic” by North Ayrshire Council, weighs 162 tonnes and its distinctive arches stand tall at 15.3 metres. The decking part of the new bridge is made of 147 tonnes of steel and 1300 cubic metres of concrete and the steel reinforcement within the concrete deck and foundations weighs an additional 215 tonnes.