Letters: Criticism of Scottish Government over Queensferry Crossing is unfair

The negative criticism directed at the Scottish Government following the closure of the Queensferry Crossing due to falling ice is unfair, a Scotsman reader says.

No one ever said the Queensferry Crossing would never close (Scotsman, 12 February) and drivers facing an extra 45 minutes journey time due to adverse weather conditions pales into insignificance compared to news that the UK economy has ground to a halt, with zero growth in the last quarter due to uncertainty over Brexit.

The closure of the Humber Bridge, Severn Bridge and five others in England did not produce anything like the politically motivated attacks on the Scottish government.

Even the acclaimed Öresund Bridge linking Malmö and Copenhagen was closed to road traffic in both directions last January due to a risk of ice raining down on cars and trucks.

Queensferry crossing

The weather conditions in the Irish Channel are far worse than on the Forth and any link between Ireland and Scotland should be via a rail tunnel coupled with the complete dualling of the A75 and A77.

As for any supposed benefits of HS2 for Scotland, we are still waiting for HS1 (Channel Tunnel) links to Scotland as promised by the Tory government in the mid-1980s

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh