Kyle of Tongue Bridge

{{short description|Bridge and causeway in far north of Scotland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox bridge

|fetchwikidata=coordinates|locale = Sutherland, Scotland|builder = Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners|length = 183 metres (600 ft)|crosses = Kyle of Tongue|open = {{Start date|df=yes|1971}}|spans = 18|carries = Road traffic on the A838|replaces = A passenger ferry service that ran until 1956|image = File:Kyle of Tongue bridge (geograph 5006734) (cropped).jpg|caption = Kyle of Tongue Bridge}}

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|image1=Kyle of Tongue bridge - geograph.org.uk - 163704 (cropped).jpg

|caption1=The bridge from the northwest with Ben Loyal in the background

|image2=The Kyle of Tongue Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 84268 (cropped).jpg

|caption2=The causeway from the east

}}{{Location map

| Scotland Sutherland

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| caption = Location of Kyle of Tongue Bridge and Causeway in Sutherland

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The Kyle of Tongue Bridge is part of the Kyle of Tongue Causeway, which crosses Kyle of Tongue sea loch on the north coast of Scotland.

The bridge and causeway were built by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners in 1971 to carry the A838, the road from Thurso to Durness, across the loch.{{Historic Environment Scotland|cat=PLA|num=129802|num2=NC55NE 50|desc=Kyle Of Tongue Bridge And Causeway}}{{cite news|title=Tongue Bridge to open in August|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19710326&id=suA9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=S0gMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6754,5100828|accessdate=1 February 2014|newspaper=Glasgow Herald|date=26 March 1971}} Until 1956 there had been a passenger ferry but the route around the head of the loch involved a narrow road some {{convert|10|mi|km}} long.{{cite web|title=Tongue|url=http://www.discoversutherland.co.uk/tongue.php|work=Discover Sutherland|accessdate=1 February 2014}} The causeway is {{convert|3.8|km}} long and it crosses a natural island, Tongue Island (Scottish Gaelic: Eilean Thunga).{{cite web|title=Kyle of Tongue Bridge|url=http://her.highland.gov.uk/SingleResult.aspx?uid=MHG28450|work=Historic Environmental record|publisher=Highland Council|accessdate=1 February 2014}} The {{convert|183|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} bridge is at the western end of the causeway and it has eighteen spans supported by twin piers.{{cite web|title=Kyle of Tongue Causeway|url=http://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst16882.html|work=Gazetteer for Scotland|publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland|accessdate=1 February 2014}}{{cite web|title=Kyle of Tongue Causeway|url=http://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Kyle_of_Tongue_Causeway|publisher=SABRE|accessdate=1 February 2014}} The bridge was fully refurbished in 2011.{{cite web|title=Kyle of Tongue Bridge|url=http://www.concrete-repairs.co.uk/kyle-of-tongue.php|publisher=Concrete Repairs Limited|accessdate=1 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203214236/http://www.concrete-repairs.co.uk/kyle-of-tongue.php|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=dead}}

References