Ice detectors to be fitted on Queensferry Crossing

Step taken to prevent build-up which can then fall on to vehicles below

Ice monitors are to be installed on the Queensferry Crossing’s cables in a bid to prevent build-up which can fall on vehicles travelling below.

Sensors which detect ice accumulation on the span’s cables are expected to be fitted to avert a problem which saw three car windscreens smashed by falling ice last winter.

Authorities insist the issue is uncommon and not seen elsewhere in Scotland but will be tackled.

However, as winter weather begins to bite, Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser said he fears lane closures in the event of falling ice and questioned why mitigations are not already in place.

He said: “In a written Parliamentary answer to a question I asked on whether sensors have been fitted to the Queensferry Crossing to alert engineers to the hazard of ice building up on its cables, Transport Minister Michael Matheson told me that sensors which detect ice accumulation will be fitted to the bridge.

“However, surely the Scottish Government should have addressed this problem before now with overnight temperatures already plummeting at this time of year?

“It is an issue that should have been solved before the bridge was opened to traffic.”

Mr Fraser said he has been told that the Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver, Canada, which has a similar climate to Scotland, encountered the same problem as the Queensferry Crossing.

“The authorities there found a solution, implemented it and then publicised it.

“I find it baffling that the solutions developed in Vancouver have not been utilised on the Queensferry Crossing.

“Not only is this issue of ice forming on the bridge’s cables a risk to driver safety, it could cause serious disruption and chaos for commuters and businesses.”

Mr Matheson suggested the ice issues were the result of a “very specific set of weather conditions” in March, adding processes have been developed to ensure any formation is monitored and managed to minimise the impact on traffic crossing the bridge.

“The conditions that can lead to a build-up of ice of this kind are very rare in the Forth estuary,” he said.

A Transport Scotland spokesman has also played down concerns.

He said: “Ice build-up of this kind has not been an issue on the other Scottish cable-stayed bridges, Erskine and Kessock, and historically has been very rare in the UK.

“Ice sensors will be installed as soon as possible

“In the event of icy conditions in the future, the bridge will be closely monitored, informed by our investigations into last year’s ice accumulation, using data from weather stations and public safety will be prioritised.

“We continue to explore international best-practice and possible methods of preventing ice build-up in the future.”

Picture: Steven Brown. Transport Minister Michael Matheson.