Work to pave way for new £4.2bn Forth road bridge begins

Research into who owns land which may be required for the crossing at Queensferry is the first task in the massive project, which is expected to take eight years to complete.

The move came as figures showed traffic on the Forth Road Bridge when tolls were abolished on Monday was virtually unchanged on a week ago – despite fears of an increase.

Stewart Stevenson, the transport minister, said rapid progress on the new crossing was vital because corrosion of the Forth Road Bridge's main cables made its future uncertain.

The bridge may have to close to lorries in five years' time and to all traffic in 2019 if attempts to halt the damage by drying out the cables fails.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce, one of the principal supporters of The Scotsman's campaign for the crossing, applauded the progress.

However, ministers have still to decide how to fund the project and confirm how it will be approved, which is likely to require new Holyrood legislation.

Representatives from Arup-Jacob, the engineering consultants masterminding preparation work, will conduct land searches in the area surrounding the new bridge

to establish the ownership and boundaries of land that may be required for the crossing and connecting roads.

It covers a triangular swathe of land south of South Queensferry as far as Kirkliston, and a corridor along the A90/M90, including parts of North Queensferry, Inverkeithing, Dunfermline and Crossgates.

The work will be followed by ecologists, geologists and engineers launching environmental surveys later this month, and then ground investigation work in March.

The Scottish Government's Transport Scotland agency, which is in charge of the crossing project, said the studies would assist in decisions over the design and alignment of the bridge and connecting roads.

Mr Stevenson said: "It is important we act quickly to protect the crucial economic link of cross-Forth travel by progressing this replacement crossing, given the uncertain future facing the existing bridge."

Mr Stevenson said the work would help to minimise the project's impact on the environment, landowners and local people. He added: "Every effort will be made by Transport Scotland to meet the needs of affected landowners."

Officials at Transport Scotland said they hoped to appoint specialist contractors shortly for ground and marine investigation work.

Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers, said: "We welcome the minister's expression of the sense of urgency for the project work.

"We are also delighted Transport Scotland has accompanied the announcement by producing an e-mail newsletter providing up-to-date information about what is happening."

The new crossing, a cable-stayed bridge similar to the Kessock Bridge in Inverness, will be built west of the Forth Road Bridge. It is expected to cost 3.2-4.2 billion at 2016 prices.

Meanwhile, a total of 34,046 vehicles travelled north across the Forth Road Bridge on Monday – 30 fewer than a week before when tolls were in operation. Southbound traffic, which is not tolled, was up by 365 vehicles to 34,945.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority, which runs the bridge, said it was too early to tell how the abolition of tolls would affect traffic levels.

Schools in Edinburgh and West Lothian were also on their mid-term break on Monday, which may have been a factor, along with thick fog, which caused restrictions.