Nicola Sturgeon tours new Forth bridge site

DEPUTY First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was today set to tour the site of the new Forth crossing to see the “striking”progress being made.

Picture by Lesley Martin 12 September 2014 YES CAMPAIGN BANNER AT HOLYROOD PARK, EDINBURGH. *JP Licence for 60 days.Picture by Lesley Martin 12 September 2014 Nicola Sturgeon on walkabout on Portobello beach. *JP Licence for 60 days.

Steel supports and platforms have been built alongside the crossing’s three main towers in recent weeks to allow work to start on installing the first sections of the deck.

Project bosses are delighted with the “striking progress” which is being made ahead of the £1.4 billion Queensferry Crossing which is on course to open as scheduled in 2016.

Forth Bridge commuters can already clearly see giant towers and V-shaped supports jutting out of the water.

Ms Sturgeon, the sole contender to replace Alex Salmond as First Minister, was on the Fife side this morning to catch up with the latest developments.

Councillor Alastair Shields, who represents Almond, said local residents were starting to get excited about the new bridge.

He said: “You can see the progress they’re making, and most people seem to be aware of what’s taking shape there.

“I don’t know much about engineering, and so we’re really leaving it up to them when they say everything is going as planned. Everything appears to be running smoothly and on track.”

When it is finished, the cable-stayed bridge will have three single-column towers and be 2.7km long, with two lanes of traffic and hard shoulders.

Around 250 out of 415 sub-contracts from the Queensferry Crossing have gone to Scottish companies and 75 per cent of the 1000-strong workforce are from the north of the Border.

Scottish firms have been awarded sub-contracts or supply orders with a total value of about £157 million.

Last September, the world’s largest continuous underwater concrete pour was achieved during foundation work for the south tower of the crossing.

The huge 15-day, 24-hour operation, successfully poured 16,869 cubic metres of concrete.