Family of dead bridge worker will be among first to walk across it
The family of a man who died while working on the new Queensferry Crossing will be one of the first to walk across the bridge.
Wullie Mccolm, 51, gave “his life to the bridge”, his family has said. He died after suffering a heart attack while working on the structure on 29 August 2012.
His co-workers put up a plaque up at the crossing to commemorate the popular father featuring the words “Wullie’s Base”.
The bridge is set to open at the end of the month before 50.000 people who won passes in an online ballot will be able to walk across it.
Mr Mccolm’s family initially missed out on the once in a lifetime opportunity to walk the 1.7 miles across the Firth of Forth on 2 and 3 September.
His widow Catherine, 50, son Jake, 14, and stepdaughter Gemma Moore, 29, entered the ballot but were told in July they had been unsuccessful.
Ms Moore tried to contact bosses at the Queensferry Crossing Experience to explain the situation and now bridge officials have agreed that his relatives will be among the first families to make the historic crossing in two weeks time.
Mr and Mrs Mccolm were just days away from celebrating their wedding anniversary, on 1 September, when he died.
With the walk set for 2 September, Mrs Mccolm said it would be very fitting for her family to take part in memory of her late husband.
She said: “Wullie gave his life to the bridge, and we have received no support from anyone since he died because it wasn’t treated as an accident at work.
“Wulliedidn’thavelifeinsurance or anything like that. We just muddled through as a family. Our marriage was just fantastic, Wullie was my best friend and we lived for each other and our family.
“We met in a pub about 18 years ago, I worked there and Wullie used to come in after work.”
The new bridge opens to traffic for the first time on 30 August before its official opening ceremony attended by the Queen on 4 September.
On 2 and 3 September the Queensferry Crossing will be closed to road traffic to allow 50,000 people to walk across the bridge in celebration of its opening.
An online ballot was launched in June to select 50,000 to take part - it attracted applications from 226,000 people.
Bridge officials are understood to be in talks about a memorial plaque in Mr Mccolm’s honour.
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