Forth Road Bridge

The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge which carries the A90 road over the Firth of Forth in the east of Scotland, to the west of the Forth Bridge.

History

After establishing the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board (FRBJB) in 1947, the UK government finally gave approval for construction of the bridge in 1958. A suspension bridge, it was designed by two firms of consulting engineers, Mott, Hay and Anderson and Freeman Fox & Partners. It cost £11.5m, and when it was completed in 1964 (it was officially opened on 4 September by The Queen) it was the longest bridge of its kind outside the United States of America. Its central main span is 3298 ft (1006 m) long; the two side spans are each 1338 ft (408 m) long.

Related Topics:
1947 - 1958 - Suspension bridge - Consulting engineer - Mott, Hay and Anderson - Freeman Fox & Partners - 1964 - 4 September - The Queen - United States of America

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2001 the structure became a Category A listed structure, which is defined as of "national or international importance, or little-altered examples of a particular period, style, or type".

Related Topics:
2001 - Category A listed structure

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 2003 a £1.2m inspection programme was launched to assess the condition of the bridge cables, after excessive corrosion was discovered in a number of bridges in the United States of a similar design, size, and era.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Due to the fact that the bridge now carries double the weight of traffic that it was originally designed for, it was estimated in May 2005 that its original design lifespan of 120 years has been more than halved. It may have to be closed as early as 2015 due to the severe stress the traffic loading has on the bridge, and internal corrosion of the steel cables. An additional Forth crossing is planned.

Related Topics:
2005 - 2015

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When the bridge was originally opened, the toll was charged for both the northbound and southbound direction. This was changed to a northbound only toll in 1997 due to the exceptional stresses put on the bridge by southbound traffic queueing for the toll booths. The northbound toll charge was doubled at this point, reasoning that most bridge users would probably make a return journey in the opposite direction, resulting in their average toll remaining unchanged.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~