Forth Road Bridge Open Week

Feedback from visitors has been overwhelmingly positive, with many calling for the event to be repeated in future or for a permanent visitor centre to be established.

A special exhibition celebrating the history of the Forth Road Bridge and the work of the bridge authority was open to the public all week. This featured displays, models and audio visual exhibits from the bridge authority as well as a number of their engineering consultants and contractors. Transport Scotland provided information on the planned new crossing.

Over the course of the week, over 50 young people from local schools and community groups were given extended tours of the bridge, including the opportunity to climb to the top of the towers 156 metres above sea level.

Visitors on Saturday enjoyed guided tours of the structure and boat trips on the Firth of Forth, with the weather staying fair for most of the day. Demonstrations were held in the car park showing how specialist teams recover overturned HGVs and a steady stream of children enjoyed playing in a bouncy castle overlooking the bridge.

Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, said of the week’s events: “I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Forth Road Bridge’s Open Week and join in the 45th anniversary celebrations. The Forth Road Bridge is an iconic structure, providing a vital link between Edinburgh, Fife and the North East, and it’s great to see the public given the opportunity to take a closer look and see for themselves the real expertise that goes into its operation.”

Barry Colford, Chief Engineer & Bridgemaster at Forth Road Bridge, added: “The Open Week has been a fantastic opportunity to share some of the passion we have for this great engineering structure, and to explain to the people who live locally and rely on the bridge just how much work goes into keeping the bridge safe and open to traffic.

“What’s been especially pleasing has been the opportunity to meet the public face to face and hear how their lives are affected by the bridge and the work that we do here. Best of all was the chance to talk to some of the men who helped build the bridge back in the 1960s.

“Feedback from the event has been overwhelmingly positive – so much so that I’m sure we’ll consider doing it again in future.”

The Forth Road Bridge Open Week was sponsored by consulting engineers Atkins and Fairhurst, as well as contractors C Spencer Ltd, Tarmac and Raynesway Construction.