The 184m-span  swing bridge between Renfrew and Yoker near Clydebank forms the centre-piece of a major infrastructure project to transform the Clyde waterfront.

Renfrewshire Council has invited three bidders to tender the £90m project after attracting global interest.

Initial designs were drawn up for the council by engineering consultant Sweco working with Kettle Collective, the architects behind the Falkirk Wheel.

The bridge will be constructed using a cable-stayed system in a design that celebrates the River Clyde’s shipbuilding heritage.

As the bridge opens and closes horizontally, the vertical masts rotate in a way that resembles the turning motion of cranes on the Clyde.

The bridge forms part of a package of new roads, walkways and cycle routes into a 150-acre site next to Glasgow Airport being developed into a manufacturing district.

Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson said: “This project will transform the Clyde waterfront and connect communities on both sides of the river, improving access to jobs, education, hospitals and leisure pursuits.

“I am very pleased to see this project progressing well and it is no surprise that it has attracted such high-calibre teams bidding to secure the design and construction contract.

“More than 470 people will be involved in the initial construction and a further 2,300 jobs are expected to follow over the next decade through the new developments and business growth it attracts.”

The contract will also include a 24-month operation and maintenance period.