Deal struck to use Scottish steel in construction of new Forth Crossing, government confirms

SCOTTISH steel will be used as part of the £1.6 billion Forth Replacement Crossing after all, the Scottish Government confirmed today, months after a row over most of the steel coming from abroad.

Tata Steel in Motherwell is to supply Darlington-based contractor Cleveland Bridge, which has won an order for steel components from the bridge builders.

Steel for the bridge’s deck is coming from China and Spain, with steel for the caissons in the tower foundattions being fabricated in Poland.

A row broke out in February over claims that the Motherwell plant had missed out on supplying steel for the bridge, which is due to open in four years.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “While the components will be fabricated at Cleveland Bridge’s Works in Darlington, the final assembly stages of these steel components will be carried out on site at the new assembly facilities located at the ends of the new bridge in South Queensferry and North Queensferry.

“On the Forth Replacement Crossing , over 300 Scottish firms have already benefitted from subcontracts and 86 per cent of supply orders on the project have gone to Scots firms.”

A spokesman for Cleveland Bridge said it was “in the process of negotiating a contract for the steel supply with Tata” but could not disclose its value or the amount of steel involved.