Debating the future of the Forth bridge

A debate is now underway regarding the fate of the existing Forth Road Bridge in the Scottish capital Edinburgh. A new Forth Replacement Bridge is being planned at a cost of some €2.64 billion and once this opens, it will carry heavy vehicles, which will not be allowed over the current bridge. Excessive loading and corrosion have taken their toll on the current bridge, although measures to halt the cable corrosion in this suspension bridge have now been taken.
May 14, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A debate is now underway regarding the fate of the existing Forth Road Bridge in the Scottish capital Edinburgh.

A new Forth Replacement Bridge is being planned at a cost of some €2.64 billion and once this opens, it will carry heavy vehicles, which will not be allowed over the current bridge. Excessive loading and corrosion have taken their toll on the current bridge, although measures to halt the cable corrosion in this suspension bridge have now
been taken.

When the new link opens, there are proposals to turn the existing bridge into a pedestrian and cycleway only, although there are questions over the high maintenance costs for such use.

Overall though, the fate of the Forth Road Bridge provides a case in point for all older bridges around the world. The existing bridge was designed in the 1950s and built to high engineering standards, opening to traffic in 1964. However the bridge now has to cope with considerably higher volumes of traffic than it was designed for. In addition, the maximum GVW of trucks using the bridge has more than doubled since the link was opened.
Road Structures

Related Content

  • Innovation in road design and management software
    February 17, 2012
    The emphasis on data processing and re-use, continues to grow in the development of design and management software. The interoperability of software, the need to handle and process larger amounts of data, and re-use and retention of data sets from one task to another have been a growing emphasis in the past few years. It allows infrastructure companies to get better value from expensively collected information and to focus more on the whole life cycle of projects.
    Read More
  • Plans in hand for Uganda’s key highway upgrade
    July 25, 2014
    In Uganda planning is underway for the upgrade of the Kampala-Jinja route. Preparations are being made for a new tolled highway connecting with capital Kampala. The upgrade will see the route being widened with four lanes for much of the length, six lanes on the approach to Kampala and up to eight lanes where vehicle densities will be heaviest to carry the capital’s traffic. The construction work is expected to cost some US$74 million and the new link will connect with the existing Kampala-Entebbe highway.
    Read More
  • Motorway madness
    September 24, 2019
    A cyclist was recently spotted on the UK’s busy M25 motorway pedalling along the hard shoulder in the wrong direction. Police were alerted by a CCTV operator who saw the rider as he rode past a camera. Officers quickly responded and escorted the cyclist to a place of safety after providing a few words on safety. Cycling is banned on the UK’s motorways.
    Read More
  • US$4 billion bridge and highway project
    June 14, 2024
    A US$4 billion bridge replacement and highway upgrade project is planned for the US.
    Read More

Highlighted Content