Confirmation of new Forth crossing may come before Christmas

JACK McCONNELL and his senior ministers are backing a second Forth crossing after a Scottish Executive report concluded that a replacement is needed for the 42-year-old road bridge.

In a pre-election U-turn, the First Minister and his cabinet will meet within weeks to consider possible routes and funding options.

Previously, the Executive had insisted no decision would be made until after the Holyrood polls in May. It follows a campaign by The Scotsman to commit to an additional crossing as soon as possible to avert an economic disaster for Scotland’s central belt.

Engineers are predicting the existing road bridge between North and South Queensferry will be closed to lorries by the end of 2013. Six years later, the bridge could be so weak that it may have to close altogether.

Last month, the Executive commissioned a series of reports about the current road bridge. It is understood these make a comprehensive case, earlier than expected, for a replacement for the road bridge. Tavish Scott, the transport minister, met Mr McConnell earlier this week and persuaded him that a new crossing is necessary.

Late last night, an Executive spokesman said: “The transport minister was briefed this week on the emerging findings of work he initiated on the Firth of Forth crossing.

“He has now briefed the First Minister and the deputy first minister on these findings which indicate a replacement crossing is required.

“The First Minister has therefore asked for a report to be brought to Cabinet.

"This report will cover the new information on options for a replacement crossing, an up to date technical assessment on the existing Forth road bridge and the further work on financing a replacement crossing."

Last night’s announcement means the go-ahead in principle for a crossing could be given before Christmas – and almost certainly before the next election.

Last month Nicol Stephen, the deputy first minister, hinted that a decision was imminent. Speaking at a conference on the economy of Fife on 22 November, he said: “The decision was planned for May 2007 but, given the importance of the issue, it is possible that there could be progress before the election.”

He added that Transport Scotland work on the site and design of a new crossing was progressing “speedily”.

Mr Stephen added: “If it were possible the work could be done sooner, we would not want to hang around until May.”

But his statement was contradicted later that same day by a spokeswoman for the Executive, who said it was “not feasibly possible” that the necessary information would be ready before the election. And a spokesman for Transport Scotland insisted it was still working to the original May deadline set by ministers.

Transport Scotland’s Forth Replacement Crossing Study, conducted by a team of consultants lead by Jacobs Babtie, last month completed two studies into the existing bridge’s capacity to meet future traffic needs. The first of these reports predicted that traffic volume would increase from an average of 66,000 vehicles a day in 2005 to 78,000 in 2020, an increase of 18 per cent.

The report, supervised by Transport Scotland official Lawrence Shackman, found that increasing congestion on the Forth Bridge would increase peak journey times to Edinburgh, and lead to a decrease in “bus patronage” by cross-Forth travellers. The reports also predicted a 23 per cent increase in emissions if a new crossing was not constructed.

Drawing on previous studies, some dating from the mid 1990s, the consultants have identified five possible routes for a crossing, and they are expected to report “before Christmas” on what the options are for each of the sites.

In November last year a full independent assessment of the state of cables on the Forth Road Bridge was commissioned after initial inspections by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority found some corroded cables on the bridge. It said that unless action was taken the 42-year-old bridge could close to heavy goods vehicles by 2013.

Campaigners have said a new road crossing would help reduce congestion and stimulate the local economy.

• The Scotsman launched a campaign on 20 November to demand that the Scottish Executive commit itself immediately to building an additional crossing over the Firth of Forth to avert an economic disaster.

Engineers are predicting that the existing road bridge between North and South Queensferry will be closed to lorries by the end of 2013. Six years later, the bridge could be so weak that it may have to close altogether.

At the time, the Executive had put off the decision until after the election. The Scotsman said such a strategy was taking an unacceptable gamble with Scotland’s economy. Economists calculate that a lorry ban would cost the nation about 900 million a year. A total closure of the bridge would cost about 2 billion.

The campaign enlisted the support of virtually all major businesses across the country, with high-profile bodies such as CBI Scotland, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Edinburgh and Fife Chambers of Commerce. It also had the endorsement of the former first minister Henry McLeish and the Chancellor, Gordon Brown.

Liz Cameron, director of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “We support The Scotsman’s campaign for a new crossing, to be built in time to preserve this vital strategic route.”

Other groups backing a new crossing include the Freight Transport Association, AA Motoring Trust and RAC Foundation, and Superfast Ferries, which operates between nearby Rosyth and Zeebrugge.