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New Forth crossing opens to traffic

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Published Date: 20 November 2008
TRAFFIC started flowing over a new landmark bridge yesterday after Alex Salmond opened the first new Forth crossing for 44 years.
The £120 million Clackmannanshire Bridge is expected to ease a traffic bottleneck on the adjacent Kincardine Bridge between Falkirk and Fife.

The bridge is three-quarters of a mile long and its low profile is designed to minimise the environmental impact and visual intrusion.

However, combined traffic using the two bridges is expected to increase by 21 per cent from 30,100 to 38,100 vehicles a day in the next year, and rise further in the future.

The new crossing, virtually at right angles to its 72-year-old neighbour, is the second-largest "incremental launch" structure of its type in the world, after one in Bavaria. Its 35,000-tonne deck was progressively pushed out from the shore over 25 piers.

The First Minister said: "This is a world-class project which will cut journey times, improve connections, and provide a unique gateway."





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  • Last Updated: 19 November 2008 9:24 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Dr. James Wilkie,

Vienna 20/11/2008 08:45:16
#2 Maybe it was a visual assessment. The journalists don't have the advantage of your backup team of researchers.

2

AJ Fife,

20/11/2008 09:15:49
Another job well done by Mr Salmond.
3

Mallory,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 09:41:22
#3

Difficult to make an assessment from a PR handout with no gfx
4

Mr. Lachie Todd,

Edinburgh 20/11/2008 09:50:38
Citizens can criticise their governments as much as they like, and mump and moan as long as they like about how they arrogantly perceive things should be done but only those in actual power can take these day to day decisions.

Unlike every theoretical critic and whinger in the land, only politicians have the power to administer the art of the possible!

5

Yeah1,

20/11/2008 10:17:37
#5

"Another job well done by Mr Salmond."

What did he do well? Open the bridge? Surely as First Minister Salmond has more important things to do than opening a bridge?

Or are you under the impression that Salmond built the entire bridge himself?
6

57vintage,

Keith 20/11/2008 10:50:26
#2

That's the way they teach numeracy these days.

The student is given the problem and then asked to estimate the answer then use the formula to work it out.

And apparently rounding up and down of decimal points is dependent on the number being either odd or even, so 4.2 becomes 4 but 4.1 becomes 5, or the other way round.

If the foregoing mathematical processes were applied by the design engineers and you've suffered from the current financial malaise, you'd do worse than invest in lifejackets and hawk them off at Kincardine on Forth.
7

Andrew,

20/11/2008 10:52:42
8) He was only practicing. He needs to - as he's got a lot of bridges still to cross!
8

Arfur,

20/11/2008 12:24:41
#10 Andrew - maybe but he has crossed a few already. At least he gets to the bridge instead of getting to the first puddle and taking the bung to turn round and forget about it.
9

Jock Tamson,

Scotland, Caledonia, Alba 20/11/2008 12:47:37
Why on earth did they call it the Clackmannanshire Bridge? No part of the new bridge is in Clackmannanshire.

Maybe go across it tomorow though.

10

Dumb Eye @,

In Clackmannanshire, unlike the bridge 20/11/2008 12:52:03
#1
Must you always write such p*sh?

The tidal flows at Kincardine preclude your precious causeway (ref Scottish Executive - Upper Forth Crossing At Kincardine, Estuarine Hydrodynamics and Tidal Water Levels).
Furthermore, flooding around the River Forth generally
occurs after prolonged heavy rain, and affects the non-tidal areas way upstream in the flood plain above Stirling and also around the tributaries such as Teith, Allan Water, Devon.
It would take more than a causeway to prevent that.

#12
Mainly due to a PR stunt orchestrated by persons who would have been better attending to what they were elected to do.
11

Sgritheall,

Switzerland 20/11/2008 13:12:08
# 5, I didn't realise he is a builder as well. What a genius!
12

It's life but not as we know it,

The Oort Clouds 20/11/2008 14:10:18
Yawn. It's like watching paint dry on the old bridge.
13

Brindo,

Dunstable 20/11/2008 16:49:50
is the fourth bridge at Alloa?
14

Dumb Eye @,

Clacmannanshire, where the bridge isn't 20/11/2008 17:37:15
It's not the first new Forth crossing for 42 years either - A new bridge (admittedly not a very big one) was built to carry the A91 over the tidal bit downstream of Stirling 20-25 years ago.
15

Dumb Eye @,

Er, Clackmannanshire, etc 20/11/2008 17:38:29
Oops, typo
16

Shamus,

Glasgow 20/11/2008 18:38:16
5# Planned funded and built since May 2006. Incredible. I seem to recall travelling over the old brige a few years ago and noted work had commenced. Strange.
17

puskas,

East kilbride 20/11/2008 19:38:05
Do you not think that the Queen would have better things to do than launch ships and open shopping centres...

The union cringe mob destroy the art of debate on these comment boards by producing absolute rubbish using their finger tips.

No5 AJ Fife.. Very articulate and accurate post..

It seems many of the union pedigree have absolutely nothing to offer Scotland and its people if reading these posta is an example.
Surely George Foulkes doesn't post himself under all these alia's. Well known as an idiot but fox who became very rich on the backs of the electorate.

Another construction across the Forth must benefit all people north/south.

Hopefully in any future hospitals built their shall be more single rooms for patients a available. Certainly overlooked in the new PPI Hairmyres which will eventually cost 3 times normal price over the next 30 years. Aye and the S NHS will still not own it. No maternity unit either for a near population of 100,000.
Mr Andy Kerr's domain.

Its obvious that the debate that goes on, on the internet, has been won by the nationalist. I suggest the closing of these topics on the comment boards is all the Labour Party activist aim for.
Posting garbage on a more than regular basis they may get their wish.
No newspaper with editors, moderators in control can allow idiots such comment,

Mr Alex Salmond a true statesman and honest politicion leader at Holyrood is fighting for a better Scotland and for unionists as well. He deserves better .
Scots should respect him.
18

Shamus,

Glasgow 20/11/2008 21:25:58
20#. Did you read 5#. Perhaps you prefer fiction.
19

Robbierunciman,

Romney Marsh 20/11/2008 22:33:25
Scottish Ministers must have a lot of time on their hands. In England, Departments maintain roads and Ministers oversee departments, but I note from http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/road that I can "download a map of road maintained by Scottish Ministers"

That's what I call hands on Government.
20

Tris,

20/11/2008 23:14:32

23.

Oh, is that what ministers in England do? I wondered. The whole lot of them overseeing departments that maintain roads. Excellent. The roads must be something to admire in England; I heard that in London they were paved with gold.
21

The Trossachs Hasher,

21/11/2008 04:29:11
If the new bridge were at right angles to the old one then surely it would be coming directly up the Forth?

 

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