Closed to motorists, but at least £1.3bn bridge is a hit... with bats
IT will be little consolation for the putupon drivers who use the Queensferry Crossing, but the problem-hit bridge has been hailed as a triumph – for bats.
Motorists have had to contend with closures due to icy weather, while journey times between Fife and Edinburgh have increased rather than be cut.
Yet the £1.3billion bridge has won some praise – for helping wildlife.
A 300-page Transport Scotland report notes that hedgerows planted nearby are taking root, which will help ‘provide screening and bat connectivity’, while bluebells moved during construction are faring well in their new home.
But the paper also noted that rush-hour journey times have got longer. It now takes seven to nine minutes longer to get to Edinburgh city centre from Dunfermline, Glenrothes or Kirkcaldy, with five minutes added to a trip to West Lothian.
Last night Murdo Fraser, Scottish Tory MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, said: ‘It’s nice to hear that the bluebells and bats are doing so well thanks to the Queensferry Crossing. I only wish that my constituents could be equally as enthused.
‘Recent days have seen the crossing closed due to ice – a repetition of the dismal events of last winter when there was massive disruption to local residents and businesses. Transport Scotland needs to make urgent changes to ensure it benefits the people who use it, not just wildlife.’
Ministers had promised the bridge would ‘improve reliability of journey times’.
It was meant to open in December 2016 and then May 2017 before finally taking its first traffic in August 2017.
The report, published last month, examines the first year in operation – between February 2018 and January 2019.
It said ‘bluebells were colonising within the area where translocation had been undertaken’. The paper recommended that ‘a site visit should be undertaken [by January 2021] to verify that hedgerow has become established’ to aid bats.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: ‘The Crossing was designed to reduce journey times. On that basis alone, the scheme has failed.
‘While some of the environmental improvements are rightly lauded, longer journey times either due to congestion or diversions for when the bridge is closed due to ice mean these benefits are quickly lost due to increased emission levels.’
Transport Scotland said: ‘This evaluation report for the first year of operations overall shows that the project moved towards achieving most of its objectives.
‘It does not capture progress made in years two and three of operations.
‘The crossing has remained open on 69 occasions when the Forth Road Bridge would have been forced to close to highsided vehicles.’