“Doom and gloom” over the condition of the Forth Road Bridge may have been mere stories, it has been claimed.
Latest reports show the condition of the 48-year-old crossing’s anchorages were much better than expected.
That, coupled to news this year that dehumidification work had slowed down corrosion on the bridge’s main supporting cables, has led to Friends of the Earth Scotland director Dr Richard Dixon claiming problems may have been “over-egged” to justify the cost of a new bridge.
Adding the money would have been better invested in public transport, he said the end result was now that Scotland will have additional traffic travelling across two road bridges which in turn would double climate pollution.
The Scottish Greens reiterated their opposition to building a new road crossing, saying public funds were squandered.
However, Transport Scotland said the new bridge was vital to the economy of Scotland and that while the latest report supported plans to use the existing bridge as a public transport crossing, it didn’t remove the challenges ahead for it.
For a full report, see Saturday’s Courier or try our try our digital edition.
