Crossing to open at last, decade after plans were first drawn up
THE QUEENSFERRY Crossing will open to traffic this week, more than a decade after plans were first drawn up.
Joining the Forth road and rail bridges connecting Edinburgh and Fife, the long-awaited opening comes among a host of events to mark the occasion, including a public walk across the bridge and a visit from the Queen.
The need for a new bridge emerged in 2004 when inspections of the Forth road bridge’s main cables found a loss of strength.
More than 60 options were considered before the cablestayed bridge design of the Queensferry Crossing was selected in 2007 and approved by the Scottish Parliament.
Construction began in 2011, with numerous records and milestones marked along the way. The 1.7-mile crossing has been “designed for maintenance” to ensure it runs smoothly for decades.
To avoid closures the Forth road bridge has faced in bad weather, wind barriers have been installed along the Queensferry Crossing which can withstand the strongest gusts.
Engineers believe the crossing will never have to close to vehicles in strong winds, saying “if you can drive to the bridge then you can cross” as the barriers will make the bridge calmer than approach roads.
Technical director Dr Mike Glover said: “The Forth Estuary is no stranger to blustery conditions, which is why we have fitted the Queensferry Crossing with 3.5m-high barriers to break up and deflect gusts of wind.
“There are permeable screens that allows some of the air through and scoops the rest up and over the bridge, preventing severe turbulent wind conditions across the deck.
“These wind shields will provide vehicles with protection from the frequent gale-force winds – reducing traffic incidents and keeping people safer.”
The barriers are one of many technological fittings on the bridge to ensure traffic runs smoothly. About 1,000 sensors have been fitted to give advanced warning of any problems, allowing maintenance teams to preempt potential issues.