Traffic will be barred from using the Forth Road Bridge until the New Year after a defective steel component was discovered on the structure last week beneath the southbound carriageway.

 

The closure will mean long delays for motorists forced to divert to the Clackmannanshire and Kincardine bridges but extra trains and buses have been laid on to provide alternative travel between Fife and Edinburgh.

 

“The decision to close the Forth Road Bridge was not taken lightly,” said Transport Minister Derek MacKay. “Following advice from engineers and independent experts the full closure is essential to prevent further damage to the structure of the bridge. Action now will mean that the closure is much shorter than if we waited.”

 

It was added that continued running of traffic over the bridge runs the risk of causing ‘extensive secondary damage’.

Chartered engineer Mark Arndt from bridge operator Amey said: “This is a complex engineering challenge. The component failure is in a difficult to access location and our response is highly dependent on weather conditions.”

 

Last week’s discovery of problems on the Forth Road Bridge is the latest in a long line of structural issues to affect the 51 year old suspension bridge. Corrosion and a loss cable strength were discovered in 2003 which led to the installation of a dehumidification system and acoustic monitoring to detect wire breakages. 

 

As a result the new Queensferry Crossing was commissioned and is to open next year. The Forth Road Bridge, which currently carries 70,000 vehicles a day, will be used only by buses, taxis, pedestrians and cyclists.

 

(Photo: Forth Road Bridge)