Police to lead first motorists on historic journey over new Queensferry Crossing
● Bridge to open to traffic in early hours of tomorrow
It will be the final challenge of a fiendishly complex logistical operation to forge a new landmark for Scotland over the depths of the Forth.
Now, after six years of methodical planning in which no detail has been left to chance, fate will decide the first person to travel across the new Queensferry Crossing.
With the £ 1.35 billion bridge due to open to traffic tomorrow for the first time, hundreds of motorists are expected to descend on Queens ferry in the hope of embarking on the inaugural journey.
However, there will no queues or ticketing system in place to decide who makes history. Instead, a rolling diversion plan will be in place to guide traffic headed for the Forth Road Bridge towards the new 1.7 mile crossing spanning the Forth.
The north bound carriageway will be the first to admit traffic, before the southbound route is opened approcimately 45 minutes later.
Itis expected that around 80,000 cars will pass over ther bridge over the course of the day, but the focus will be on who is first.
The timing of when the diversions begin is a closely guarded secret in order to prevent an influx of traffic, although it is expected to come into force before 6am.
Planning has been under way for weeks by Police Scotland, Transport Scotland, and Ameyahead of tomorrow’ s much-awaited opening, and extra police vehicles are expected to be in place at either side of the new bridge in order to prevent motorists from idling.
With public interest in the bridge at an all- time high, congestion around the crossing is anticipated, particularly given it forms part of a new road layout.
However, any early visitors to the bridge hoping to race past thoseahead of them in the hope of being the first to make the crossing are in for disap - pointment.
Police Scotland will be controlling the speed of the traffic – up to a maximum temporary speed limit of 40mph – and it will not be possible to overtake, meaning that technically,a police car will be the first to travel across the bridge.
As many as 24 million vehicles are expected to use the crossing each year, ea sing the strain on the problem- hit Forth Road Bridge. The latter will be used for buses, tax is and bikes.
After the switch over, the new crossing – now the longest three - tower, cable - stayed bridge in the world – will be fully open to traffic for the rest of tomorrow and Thursday, before it closes to all traffic in the early hours of Friday.
Come the weekend, around 50,000 members of the pub- li cw how on tickets in a ballot will get a “one in a lifetime” opportunity to walk over the new bridge.
As par t of planning for the major event, a ban on low flying aircraft, including drones, hasbeen imposed over the Forth, with the restrictions re - maining in place from 7am to 7: 30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
The structure will officially be opened by the Queen on Monday during a ceremony in which it will be blessed by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Around 10,000 local people and s c ho ol pupil s will t hen have the chance to walk across t he bri dge f or t hemselves a week today before it eventually re- opens for good to traffic next Thursday.