List of unfinished jobs on Queensferry Crossing revealed

A list of 23 unfinished jobs has been released for the Queensferry Crossing. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Tasks include concrete, painting and various snagging work, according to Transport Scotland.

“Architectural lighting” to illuminate the £1.35 billion structure has also to be finished, the Scottish Government agency said.

The bridge opened on 30 August, but one carriageway has already been closed for five days for repairs after surfacing around expansion joints was laid too high.

Southbound traffic was switched to the Forth Road Bridge during the work in November/December.

Snagging includes galvanising repairs to the "vehicle restraint system", work on windshielding post bolts and louvres and "bearing remedials" on two of the bridge piers.

There is also snagging to road lighting and road drainage.

Other tasks include completion of equipment inside the bridge deck, such as a dehumidification system to protect against corrosion, a network of monitors that provide alerts of any structural problems, and the tower lifts.

Drivers face potential disruption until September while finishing works are completed. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

Four painting tasks, involving the outside and inside of the structure, won't even start until the spring.

Concrete "finishing" is needed on the towers, piers and deck edge cantilevers.

The full list is published below.

Transport Scotland has said any lane closures would take place at night and avoid peak times and would have a "minimal impact" on traffic.

However, details have yet to be announced.

The list was published by the Scottish Parliament’s rural economy and connectivity committee after members requested the information when they questioned bridge officials in November.

BACKGROUND: Queensferry Crossing to have 10 months of lane restrictions In a letter to the committee, Transport Scotland said the work had to be complete within a year of the bridge opening.

Major transport infrastructure projects director Michelle Rennie said: “Finishing works and snagging are to be completed within the first year of the five-year defects correction period.

“This means that the contractor has until 30 September 2018 to complete the remaining outstanding works and snagging

“The programme for undertaking these works is determined by the contractor.

“However, this is subject to change for a variety of reasons including weather sensitivities, availability of resource and progress on other activities.”

Queensferry Crossing five day 'snagging' shutdown this week

Policy and research director Neil Greig said: "Although this looks like a long list, I think most drivers will be reassured that all the final details for this huge project have been identified and are being worked on.

"The key for bridge users now is to know well in advance what impact these works will have on their journeys due to lane closures or other restrictions.

"Having the main contractors involved for five years should also mean any major problems can be addressed quickly."

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Jamie Greene said: “People who depend on the Queensferry Crossing will be concerned at the prospect of further inconvenience.

“Most commuters consider snagging works to be minor and something that can be taken care of immediately.

“If those are major works which require closure or part closure then the SNP should be upfront with bridge users.

“Instead, there’s a risk that a project which the SNP boasted so heavily about will have problems for more than a year after the bridge opened.

“Scotland’s economy needs this crossing, and one has to ask if the SNP knew about dozens of problems when it opened.”

Edinburgh Western Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "The SNP accused the opposition of talking Scotland down when we questioned whether work on the Queensferry crossing had been completed.

"Scottish Liberal Democrats asked for this information in September but were told commercial sensitivities trumped the public interest in knowing this.

"A cynic might suggest the Scottish Government were deliberately avoiding releasing anything that would overshadow their photo opportunity.

"Residents and road users will be hoping that this will not mean further closures and delays.

"The Scottish Government should be open and transparent about whether this will be case."

A Transport Scotland spokesman said: “During previous Parliamentary committee appearances, we have consistently said a range of finishing work would be required once the new bridge opened.

“The list of outstanding work refers to a range of tasks that have always been intended to be completed once the Queensferry Crossing opened to traffic.

"As is normal with infrastructure projects to ensure the benefits of the new bridge were delivered to road users as quickly as possible, while allowing any remaining work to be safely carried out while traffic uses the bridge.

“The remaining work has a minimal impact on traffic using the bridge and involves tasks such as under-deck painting, which needs to be undertaken during the spring and summer months, the bridge control room, and work inside the bridge deck and towers.

"This means any further lane closures required will take place at night time and away from peak times.”

IN FULL: Ongoing and planned works for Queensferry Crossing

1. Complete managed motorway. Target date: end January

2. Completion of deck internal mechanical and electrical (dehumidification,

structural health monitoring, deck shuttle, tower lifts). Target date: end March, but tower lifts

end September

3. Completion of mechanical and electrical in abutments and general finishing

work. Target date: end March

4. Completion of bridge control room systems (structural health monitoring,

SCADA). Target date: end March

5. Concrete finishing, towers, piers and deck edge cantilevers. Target date: end September

6. Commissioning of tower maintenance access platforms. Target date: end March

7. Commissioning of cable maintenance access cradles. Target date: end March

8. Load verification test for weigh in motion and structural health

monitoring system . Target date: end May

9. Bearing remedials at piers S1 and S3. Target date: end July

10. Completion of internal painting. Target date: March-end September

11. Touch-up external painting (repair chips to paint from handling damage. Target date: March to end Sep

12. Galvanising repairs to vehicle restraint system (zinc paint). Target date: March to end September

13. Complete painting of dampers. Target date: March to end September

14. Completion of architectural lighting. Target date: end March

15. Monitoring of towers at cable anchorages. Target date: March

16. Alignment of underdeck inspection gantry rails. Target date: end June

17. Commissioning of underdeck gantries. Target date: end July

18. Adjustment of windshield louvres. Target date: end Feb

19 Snagging works to windshield post bolts and additional works to wind shield

louvres. Target date: end June

20. Finishing work to baseplate grout at windshields and vehicle restraint system. Target date: end Feb

21. Snagging to road lighting. Target date: end March

22. Road drainage snagging. Target date: end March

23. Planting works. Target date: 26 March

Source: Transport Scotland