The case for a new £1 billion Forth road bridge remains overwhelming, and any suggestion that work on its construction should be suspended is “wrong and very premature”.
That is the view of Fife Council Labour administration leader, Councillor Alex Rowley, who said completion of the new bridge was “absolutely crucial” not just for the Fife economy but for the whole of the east of Scotland.
Ministers have been urged to consider putting plans for the new bridge on hold after the chief engineer of the existing crossing admitted it could continue to be used safely for decades.
Last week an inspection report revealed that corrosion problems which prompted the Scottish Government to order a new bridge appear to have been brought under control.
It found that a dehumidification system, which acts like a giant hairdryer, has prevented wires in the bridge’s suspension cables from cracking since it was installed four years ago, greatly reducing concerns about their future safety.
Ministers announced plans for a new crossing in 2007 after discovering that salt water and foggy, humid weather was corroding the structure, which carries about 70,000 vehicles per day.
The SNP Scottish Government decided to press ahead with the scheme in 2010 rather than wait to see whether the dehumidification system was working.
It argued that delaying the project until it knew the results could have posed a serious risk to the economy, in case the bridge had to close to traffic before a new one was in place.
Ministers also argued that a new bridge was required to avoid serious traffic delays that would otherwise occur when other repairs were carried out to the structure, including on expansion joints.
But Mr Rowley said: “If the corrosion in the cables has been slowed down then that is to be welcomed.
“The case for the new bridge was never just about corrosion. The old bridge was never built for the volume of traffic it is taking or for the weight of these massive lorries.
“We have seen how road works to repair the surface on the carriageway of existing bridge can cause delays and in future it could bring the Fife economy to a standstill.
“The new bridge is absolutely crucial not just for Fife but for the whole of the east of Scotland. The case for it is overwhelming.
“It would be very wrong and premature to suggest that work on the new bridge should be delayed now. We need the bridge.”
Barry Colford, the bridgemaster and chief engineer for the current crossing, said: “It’s difficult to put a number on it, but hopefully it has a long-term future to be able to provide a service for whatever traffic the Government feels needs to run across the bridge.”
Asked if the bridge could continue to safely carry current levels of traffic for decades, he said: “Yes, it’s likely to be able to carry the traffic because the dehumidification appears to have slowed down the rate of strength loss.”
A report on the bridge cables is to be discussed at a meeting of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (FETA) today.
For full reports of the FETA meeting see Tuesday’s Courier or try our new digital edition.