First Minister mocked for her comments over bridge problems

‘Snagging’ on the crossing was an inevitability, says Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon was jeered at First Minister’s Questions yesterday for comparing snagging works on Queensferry Crossing with problems encountered by home-buyers.

The FM said this week’s partial closure of the bridge to fix botched resurfacing is regrettable, but inevitable for a project of this size, adding no other daytime lane closures are planned.

She admitted to MSPs that ministers opened the Fife to Edinburgh link while oblivious to the discovery of a fault that officials were aware of.

The bridge was closed to southbound traffic from 10pm last night and will reopen at 6am on Wednesday next week as the “workmanship issue” with the road surface at the bridge’s joints is repaired.

The Government has been accused of rushing ahead with the bridge opening before it was ready and hiding the need for more partial closures.

Motorists were told this week that more lane restrictions are likely over the next 10 months, paving the way for yet more commuter frustration.

“This is the only piece of work that will require daytime and peak time lane closures. Other work, if it requires lane closures, will be during the night-time period,” Ms Sturgeon told FMQs

“This is important to the travelling public, but it’s also important for everybody to keep a sense of perspective around it.”

To jeers from opposition politicians, Ms Sturgeon said: “Anybody who has ever moved into a new house knows that snagging is required.

“The project director told parliament in June there would be a period of three to six months (where snagging works are needed).”

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: “The SNP pushed through the opening of this bridge then claimed it as a sign of competent government.

“Now, just weeks later, the very same bridge has had to partially close to address problems that were known about in the summer, but kept from the public.”

Transport Scotland said completing the resurfacing will allow the bridge speed limit to be raised to 70mph.

Neil Greig, of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said it was misleading to present the road surfacing issue as a snagging problem, adding it was “stopping the road becoming 70mph”.

Earlier, Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said ministers were only made aware of the issue last week after bridge bosses could not come up with a solution that did not involved lane closures.

Picture: Steven Brown. A “workmanship issue” has closed the Queensferry Crossing.

Picture: SWNS. Nicola Sturgeon was ridiculed by opposition MSPs for her comments at First Minister’s Questions.