Queensferry Crossing picks up pace

2013 has been the busiest year yet on the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC), across all aspects of this once-in-a-lifetime project.

Significant progress on the FRC project during 2013 include:

• M9 Junction 1A completed and open ahead of schedule
• Foundation work on the main crossing towers complete
• World record underwater concrete pour
• First sections of south approach viaduct launched
• Public chose the name for the new bridge as Queensferry Crossing

Transport Minister Keith Brown said:

“This has been a very busy year for Scotland’s largest project in a generation and we have seen fantastic progress over the last 12 months.

“Major road upgrades on both the north and south of the Forth have now been finished. With M9 Junction 1A opened ahead of schedule on February 1, this marked the completion of the second of the three FRC contracts.

“Out on the water, the main crossing has started to take shape. Just over a year ago there were no foundations and we were in the challenging process of precisely locating huge steel caissons and cofferdams on the estuary bed. Now on the cassions and the Beamer Rock cofferdam for the main towers have been drained of water and the towers are beginning to rise up.

“In doing this, we have seen a world record set for the largest continuous underwater concrete pour – 16,869 m3 poured non-stop over 15 days on the south tower.

“On land, the first sections of southern approach viaduct are now ready for launch, marking the first appearance of the actual deck and the start of the bridge itself. Elsewhere, the huge beams for the South Queensferry gyratory bridges have been lifted into place.

“In June, the First Minister announced the public’s choice for the permanent name for the bridge - Queensferry Crossing. This concluded the overwhelmingly popular Name the Bridge process, which saw 35,000 people voting on a shortlist of names taken from 7,600 original public suggestions.

“This progress is achieved through the dedication and hard work of the hundreds of people employed to build the bridge and the project remains on schedule for completion by the end of 2016.”