Concerns raised over signs for new Forth crossing

The gantries will provide lane and speed control information on the approaches to the bridge

Transport Scotland says the massive overhead signs between the Halbeath junction in Fife and the Newbridge roundabout are an essential part of the traffic management system linked to the new 1.5 billion crossing.

But MSPs on both sides of the Forth have questioned the need for so many signs on a 13-mile stretch.

Cowdenbeath Labour MSP Helen Eadie has written to Transport Minister Keith Brown and tabled a motion at Holyrood, calling for a reduction in the number of gantries. She said that at a recent public meeting, Transport Scotland officials revealed the gantries would cost at least 150,000 each.

The contract for works on the first part of the "Intelligent Transport System", involving 17 gantries, is expected to be awarded this month at an estimated cost of 15-22 million.

Ms Eadie said: "I'm four-square behind the need for the new bridge - I was campaigning for a new crossing before anyone else - and I understand the purpose of the gantries, slowing down the traffic, but I'm not persuaded we need as many as this, especially when we are in a desperate financial situation.

"If I were the roads minister I would be saying we must rethink this. At a time when people are having their health services cut, we have to be very careful about our priorities."

Lothians Labour MSP Neil Findlay also expressed concerns about having so many gantries and warned about the potential for motorists to be distracted by a variety of messages.

He said: "There is a balance to be struck. Public information notices can be of vital importance, such as 'There will be six inches of snow in an hour's time, get yourself home'. That would have been very helpful last winter.

"But if they start using it for advertising or if every one is going to have a different message, it is going to become distracting. It certainly has got the potential to cause problems if they are used inappropriately.

"Digital or gantry displays can provide an important public service, but they also have the potential to be distracting, particularly when there are so many of them in such a short traffic corridor."

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: "The Forth Replacement Crossing Intelligent Transport System is essential to the effective operation of the new crossing and will deliver significant benefits for cross-Forth travel by improving safety, journey time reliability and incident management. Using this technology also eliminates the need for further expensive widening of existing roads.

"The system will consist of a number of overhead signal gantries providing lane and speed control information to road users, the design and locations of which have been determined by national legal standards for safety and network operation."