Photo courtesy of Transport Scotland. FRC is designed to safeguard a vital connection in


the country’s transport network. Transport Scotland is working with the Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) consortium on this project—which, ultimately, will have provided over 1,200 job opportunities and a large number of subcontract and supply-order opportunities for Scottish companies (comprising an estimated 10 million man-hours). A result of the current Forth Road Bridge (FRB)


showing inevitable signs of deterioration, Queensferry Crossing forms the centerpiece of a major upgrade to the important cross-Forth transport corridor in the east of Scotland.


Te 1.7-mile (2.7km) structure will be the longest


three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world, and the largest to feature cables which cross mid-span. Such innovation provides extra strength and stiffness, allowing the towers and the deck to be more slender and elegant. Te overall FRC scheme will be 13.7 miles (22km) long, including major motorway upgrades to the north and south of the bridge, as well as the first-ever use in Scotland of variable mandatory speed limits to smooth traffic congestion via an Intelligent Transport System (which also controls dedicated bus lanes within the motorway hard shoulders—another first in Scotland). And when the new Crossing opens in 2017, the FRB will enjoy a second life—dedicated to public transport, cycling, and walking.


26 SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2016 WIRE ROPE EXCHANGE Photo courtesy of Transport Scotland.


A project like this also boasts an impressive list of facts and figures. At 683 feet (207 meters), the structure is the tallest bridge in the UK. As far as materials: 42,000 tons of steel and 150,000 tons of concrete will be used overall. And cable? Tere’s plenty of that—23,000 miles actually—nearly enough to wrap around the planet. Additionally, wind shielding will almost entirely eliminate the need for closures during the frequent periods of high winds in the Forth estuary—a significant resilience issue experienced with the current FRB, which does not have wind shielding. Te cables will also be easier to replace—as part of normal maintenance, without closing the bridge.


Form work atop the north tower.


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