Twin bids to delay new Forth bridge voted down

Published on Tuesday 22 September 2009 22:09

THE new Forth road bridge remains on track to be completed by 2016 after two attempts to delay it were rejected.

The 2 billion project needs to be in place by 2016 due to fears that the existing road bridge will no longer be fit for purpose for heavy goods vehicles by then.

The way was opened up for the new bridge to continue after MSPs on Holyrood's finance committee yesterday agreed to support a payback scheme for tenderers bidding for the project.

Meanwhile, the City of Edinburgh Council's transport committee voted by 14 to two to end its demands that the bridge should be delayed so that other public transport projects could be prioritised.

MSPs rejected a suggestion by Labour's Jackie Baillie that the process be put off for three months. Ms Baillie was questioning the need for a contingent liability, which could see a successful tenderer paid back up to 10 million and unsuccessful tenderers receiving 5m should the bridge fail to go ahead.

She suggested that a delay to allow necessary legislation through would mean that the payback scheme would not be required.

But transport minister Stewart Stevenson said that the bridge was on a tight schedule, with "very little slack in the process". He said the payback scheme was necessary to provide reassurance for bidders.

Mr Stevenson had been called to the committee to explain the scheme after MSPs had been unhappy with the explanations given by civil servants last week.