THE folk of Fife have been given an early Christmas present with the news that traffic will once again move across the Forth Road Bridge today after it reopens ahead of schedule.
All but HGVs and abnormal loads will be allowed to cross the structure from 6am following the completion of temporary repairs.
Twitter users were delighted after almost three weeks of closures which caused travel chaos between Edinburgh and Fife – but Labour’s Jackie Baillie used the occasion to demand the SNP pay compensation to businesses who lost out during the closure. Labour, of course, opposed the building of the new Queensferry Crossing.
She said: “It now falls to the SNP Government to outline what compensation will be available to businesses who lost out as a result of this essential piece of infrastructure being shut down at a crucial time for the Scottish economy.
“There are still serious questions about how the bridge ended up in disrepair in the first place.”
The crossing was expected to remain closed until the New Year and yesterday transport minister Derek Mackay said the workers from bridge operators Amey should take the credit. The workforce included 250 scaffolders, 46 welders and fabricators and 76 engineers and inspectors.
Mackay said: “We are now able to reopen the bridge to 90 per cent of traffic, well ahead of schedule. Experts have recommended the bridge is now ready to open to all traffic except HGVs.
“With the temporary solution now in place, the remaining work to install the long-term repair can safely proceed without the need for a full closure. The repairs will be carried out with overnight lane restrictions on the bridge. For the complex and detailed interim repair to have been completed in this timeframe is a tribute to the highly skilled and dedicated staff.”
Its closure was ordered on Friday, December 4, after a crack was discovered in a truss under the carriageway. The 51-year-old bridge carries an estimated 70,000 vehicles a day and ScotRail ran additional services to help commuters cope.
Yesterday, the Scottish Government said the full inspection of the bridge is now 90 per cent complete after five hours of tests on Saturday. No material defects were detected.
Remaining inspections will continue until early January, with HGVs allowed access from mid-February, pending a permanent repair to a cracked truss end.
Strain gauges have been installed on the structure for the first time to provide live data on stresses and rotations within this section.
Yesterday, the jokes which marked the closure continued on Twitter, with Leo Miklasz tweeting: “Fife to reopen tomorrow. God only knows what we’ll find in there.”
BroadcastingScotland?said: “Another broken #SNPBad promise. They said #Forthroadbridge would reopen in January but they have reopened it early.”
And Angry Salmond chimed in: “Today is the shortest day of the year...although it’ll probably feel like the longest for Scottish Labour. #ForthRoadBridge #WinterSolstice”
Mackay conceded the closure had not been much fun. He said: “We can’t lose sight of the fact that many people have been inconvenienced by the closure. We understand there will be considerable disappointment the bridge will require to remain closed to HGVs for a few more weeks.
“We will work with hauliers to discuss what support will be available to them during the period when they cannot access the bridge.”
Richard Burnett, of the Road Haulage Association, said the limits would cost the sector “in excess of £40 million”.The National View: Bridge saga paints a bizarre picture of Scotland today
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