Hogmanay 2016 has come and gone, so it’s only right to start looking ahead to what 2017 will bring for Fife.
And what a year it promises to be.
As ever, there will be plenty going on to keep us reporters on our toes, from cheque presentations and school fetes to the usual instances of fire, pestilence and plague that Fife-based hacks have grown accustomed to over the years. It’s nothing if not eclectic.
One thing I think we’re all looking forward to though is the grand opening of the Queensferry Crossing, and to be honest it’s something we’ve all been guilty of taking for granted.
Those behind the project released a wee video last week showing a year in the life of the structure, and for those living and working in Fife it’s always just been something there in the background.
You’ll perhaps take a casual glance at it on the train between Fife and Edinburgh, or quickly survey its progress as you make the drive over the existing bridge.
But you tend to forget just how big an undertaking this actually is, and it is something that has to be celebrated.
A £1.3 billion project.
Eighty-three deck sections weighing more than 60,000 tonnes lifted into place; 200 stay cables installed which would stretch all the way from the bridge to St Andrews if laid end to end; three-and-a-half kilometres of road and eight kilometres of drainage pipes laid; 11,500 square metres of waterproofing spray applied; 14 overhead gantries erected and 44,000 trees planted.
The figures themselves are mind-blowing, yet all one needs to do is stop for a moment at North or South Queensferry and actually drink in that vista to appreciate the work that’s gone on.
We’ve got the largest construction project in a generation in Scotland right on our doorstep.
Having said all that though, the powers-that-be on both sides of the Forth simply have to make sure they make the most of the new bridge.
It’s no use having a brand spanking new crossing only to experience the same kind of congestion commuters have long had to put up with going in and out of the region. And Fifers travelling right into Edinburgh won’t hesitate to tell you that the bridge isn’t so bad in any case, it’s the traffic when you get into the city that’s the real bugbear.
The infrastructure appears to be in place to make it a success, and the fact the existing crossing will become a dedicated public transport corridor should only help improve connectivity in and around Fife.
But when the inevitable furore dies down after it opens in May and the novelty wears off, will Fifers feel better off because of the new bridge? Time will tell.
Me? I’ve always fancied the notion of a tunnel myself, but I guess that particular ship has sailed….