Commuters faced motoring misery this morning as the full impact of the Forth Road Bridge closure hit home.
Traffic jams and packed trains heralded the beginning of weeks, potentially months, of journeying between Fife and the capital without the crippled crossing.
Congestion on the Kincardine and Clackmannanshire Bridges was reported from as early as 7am as commuters tried to pre-empt the expected delays.
As the rush hour developed many turned to social media in anger, with a particular bone of contention being the decision to open the A985 between Longannet and Cairneyhill Roundabout solely to HGVs and buses.
⚠ Here is the route for cars & light good vehicles: https://t.co/mEoIVCNYV5. PLEASE #BeAware before setting off! pic.twitter.com/Ty1Qs9uuO4
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) December 7, 2015
In their frustration, many were taking alternative routes, though these were also said to be congested and experiencing standing water following the heavy weekend rain.
The region’s rail network was also pushed to its very limits, despite an extra 6,500 seats being made available on routes between Fife and Edinburgh.
Platforms were packed throughout the kingdom this morning, while it was standing room only on carriages after just a handful of stops.
Stagecoach, meanwhile, was reporting that its services were taking over 90 minutes to travel between the park and ride facility at Halbeath to Edinburgh.
The transport minister Derek Mackay had warned there is “no doubt” people will experience disruption during the bridge’s closure.
It emerged on Friday that the bridge will be closed until the new year while repair work is carried out on a structural fault.
@ScotRail @WindyWilson88 Cowdenbeath Station. Packed but unmanned. Wow. Unexpected demand? pic.twitter.com/JzfXFNBTSz
— Alan (@mrfoldy) December 7, 2015
It is estimated that around 70,000 vehicles use the bridge each day and 11-mile rush hour tailbacks were caused on Friday, the first full day of its closure.
Ministers say diversion routes will be slow and public transport very busy during the Monday rush hour and a page has been set up at trafficscotland.org in an attempt to make information accessible to commuters and businesses.
Transport bosses are to meet local businesses on Tuesday to discuss how the impact of the crossing closure can be eased.
Mr Mackay said: “Since we took the necessary decision to close the Forth Road Bridge on safety grounds, the patience and co-operation displayed by the travelling public and affected businesses is appreciated, but there is no doubt people will continue to experience disruption over this period.
#BeAware it's 7:04 & traffic heavy on Clacks & Kincardine Bridges! Please #PlanAhead & check our website for info! pic.twitter.com/mSitXtxTHN
— Traffic Scotland (@trafficscotland) December 7, 2015
“A significant amount of work has been put in to deliver additional resources for commuters and businesses that need to travel and we have been able to add additional resources for public transport routes between Fife and Edinburgh.
“This includes 6,500 more seats a day on ScotRail trains and an additional 33 buses supplied through Stagecoach and bringing 11,000 more seats on key services.
“Full details of the additional services are on the website which offers detailed information on the available travel options, including new timetables for the enhanced rail services.
“We are putting in place as many measures as possible to help this situation but these will only be effective if we have the support of the public. Through carefully planning journeys, considering travelling at different times or considering other options such as car sharing and working from home, even though there will still be delays, we can all work together to come through this challenging situation.”
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said on Sunday: “With new diversions coming into force tomorrow morning, there will be Road Policing officers working with Amey traffic management colleagues all along these routes and in the Traffic Scotland control centre, plus we will be deploying further Road Policing officers to patrol the diversionary routes and affected parts of the road network to assist in keeping the traffic flowing.
“Together we will monitor how the plans are working and will respond to any incidents which do occur. We do expect a certain amount of delays, but will continue to assess and adapt accordingly to help traffic keep moving.
“I would urge anyone who needs to travel tomorrow morning to plan ahead – consider public transport, check the weather conditions and leave plenty of time for your journey. Many people will be driving on unfamiliar, busy roads and so please take extra care.”