Numpties and bad organisation causing chaos on new bridge

Comment Scott Reid

Almost a year on from the grand opening and it still feels like commuter hell. Granted, the Queensferry Crossing, despite its graceful record-breaking span, was never likely to cut the time it takes to travel between Edinburgh and Fife. It is, after all, largely a replacement crossing with two running lanes each way, just like the Forth Road Bridge, now sadly relegated to public transport duties.

However, those of us who undertake this journey on a daily basis were not expecting it to take a lot longer than before. Which it has been doing, chiefly heading northbound each evening back over to the Kingdom.

The blame has to lie with the layout of the approach road. A mile-long slip for the A904 has become a rat run for the ignorant and the selfish, with too many motorists choosing to use it and the subsequent roundabout to try and avoid the queues. The result is traffic carnage as said numpties attempt to merge at the far side of the junction.

To hear that the “snagging” work is to continue until the end of 2019 will come as little surprise to regular travellers, who have seen an increasing amount of metalwork and protective sheeting appear.

Nocturnal bridge users have suffered the indignity of being forced on to the deck’s narrow hard shoulder by a sea of cones while work continues to complete the structure. Some nights, those queues have approached rush-hour levels. Fingers crossed, we can now look forward to the finished article. But unless the approach road issues are addressed, or the traffic restrictions on its predecessor are relaxed, don’t expect things to speed up much.