£1.3bn crossing is on schedule for opening

CONSTRUCTION work on the new £1.3 billion Queensferry Crossing is now 94 per cent complete, bosses say.

Only two segments of the deck are still to be lifted into place to complete the link across the Forth between the Lothians and Fife.

The project will then move on to a new phase of finishing works, with the bridge on schedule to open in May.

Transport Scotland has released a video showing highlights from the past year.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: “The Queensferry Crossing is now nearing completion and is on schedule to open in May next year.

“On the bridge there is continuous deck from the north viaduct in Fife to just a few metres short of the south viaduct in the Lothians. At this stage there are only two more deck segments to lift of the 122 total – with these due to be in place in early 2017.

“When work starts back at the beginning of January the initial focus will be on completing the final few concrete pours to complete the deck of the south viaduct.

“Then focus will shift on to finishing works – water proofing, road surfacing and the final fit out of all the mechanical and electrical systems on what will be a truly state-of-the-art bridge.

“The challenges the project faces with the weather have been well documented but it is to the credit of the skilled team that the project remains on schedule to open within the contractual timeframe and under budget.

“Of course no-one ever said that building the tallest bridge in Britain in such a challenging environment was going to be easy.”

Mr Brown said that the bridge would bring significant improvements to Scotland’s trunk road network.

The 1.7-mile (2.7km) structure will be the longest threetower, cable-stayed bridge in the world and the largest with cables which cross mid-span.

The Forth Road Bridge will stay as a public transport corridor as a largely trafficfree environment for cyclists and walkers.