Leamington Lift Bridge

A group of cyclists watch a pleasure boat passing under the Leamington Lift Bridge while those in a hurry carry their bikes across the footbridge.
A hundred years ago the Union Canal here would have been busy with boats while carts crossed a wooden bridge here. In 1922 this bridge, which had been built in 1906, was dismantled from its location further east when the canal basins were filled in due to a decline in trade.  It was then rebuilt here at the new terminus of Lochrin Basin and continued to be used until the canal became derelict in the 1960s.
As part of the Millennium Link the Union Canal was cleared and the bridge was restored to full working order and opened in 2005. The bridge deck can be raised electrically between two gantries giving a clearance of 9 feet (2.7m) to allow boats to pass under.  It is no longer open to cars but is well used by cyclists and pedestrians who are still able to cross the footbridge when the bridge is raised.