Public warned to keep away from banks of River Clyde after weir gate jams

The River Clyde as it runs through Glasgow (iStock) — Glaswegians have been found to be the friendliest people in the UK.

THE public have been warned to keep off the Clyde riverbank after a weir experienced a mechanical failure.

The tidal weir near Glasgow Green cannot fully close, which could affect the stability of the surrounding riverbank.

The weir on the River Clyde at the Albert Bridge will not fully close. As a precaution, please stay off the riverbank east of the weir. pic.twitter.com/sT6v0VB4lE

— Glasgow City Council (@GlasgowCC) August 29, 2017

Glasgow City Council has warned people to stay away from the area at Albert Bridge as a precaution.

A spokesman said: “At around 0530 this morning, one of three gates on the weir suffered a mechanical fault which caused it to jam open; with the effect that water levels to the east of the weir are currently being effected by the tide, rather than being maintained at a steady level.

“This means the outward pressure of the water on the banks of the river has also reduced and there is a risk they could become unstable. There is currently some damage on the southern bank and we have closed a section of the walkway from Glasgow Green to Dalmarnock Road on that side. We are also asking the public to stay away from both banks above the weir.

“Work to resolve the problem with the weir gate is continuing.”

The tidal weir is used to ensure that the upper Clyde, East of the Albert Bridge is kept at a constant depth. Without the weir, the upper channel would rise and fall with the tide from a depth of more than 4 metres to a depth of around 1.5 metres.

The outward pressure from that depth of water is one of the factors which ensures the stability of the river banks and if the water level falls there is a risk the banks could become unstable or even start to move.

Glasgow City Council has established a multi-agency group to manage the incident, with input Police, Fire and SEPA.