A mammoth engineering feat, Scotland's third Forth bridge is ready to open

[August 29, 2017]    EDINBURGH (Reuters) - The Queensferry Crossing, the third bridge in as many centuries to link Edinburgh and the north of Scotland over the River Forth, was formally completed on Monday, concluding the biggest Scottish infrastructure project in a generation.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands in front of the Queensferry Crossing which is illuminated to mark the ceremonial handover from the contractors to the Scottish Government, Queensferry Scotland August 28 2017. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

US-BRITAIN-SCOTLAND-BRIDGE
GridList
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands in front of the Queensferry Crossing which is illuminated to mark the ceremonial handover from the contractors to the Scottish Government, Queensferry Scotland
The Queensferry Crossing is illuminated to mark the ceremonial hand over from the contractors to the Scottish Government, Queensferry
The Queensferry Crossing is illuminated to mark the ceremonial hand over from the contractors to the Scottish Government, Queensferry
The Queensferry Crossing is illuminated to mark the ceremonial hand over from the contractors to the Scottish Government, Queensferry


The elegant new bridge opens to traffic on Wednesday. With three structures rising like sails over its span, it is the longest of its type in the world at 1.7 miles (2.7 km).

It reaches 210 meters (690 ft) above high tide, standing as tall as around 48 London buses stacked on top of each other. Barriers deflect the wind and shield vehicles from the huge gusts common on the Forth.

The state-of-the-art engineering feat needed 35,000 tonnes of steel for the superstructure and 150,000 tonnes of concrete. Construction took six years. Although the project overran by 10 weeks, its cost of 1.35 billion pounds ($1.75 billion) is 235 million pounds below budget.

"The Queensferry Crossing is a symbol of a confident, forward-looking Scotland and – as well as providing a vital transport connection for many years to come – it is a truly iconic structure and a feat of modern engineering," said Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The Forth Bridge, a red-colored rail bridge that has become a UNESCO World Heritage site, opened in 1890, the first major structure in Britain to be made from steel.

The second Forth Bridge, a road which will now be used primarily for public transport vehicles, opened in 1964.

(Reporting by Elisabeth O'Leary, editing by Larry King)

[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.