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Original poster

The Forth Road Bridge is totally closed...

228 replies

cashewnutty · 04/12/2015 07:23

...what a nightmare that is going to be.

I live in Fife and DH works in Edinburgh. He gets the train but now they will be mobbed. Not good for businesses as a whole. The Kincardine Bridge will be mobbed and the roads around there are not great.

I hope they fix it soon.

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/12/2015 19:58

Hi Kenny, This comment made by a Transport Scotland spokesperson earlier explains that the current fault is a new and previously diagnosed issue. A Transport Scotland spokesman said:
“The Scottish Government has fully funded all FETA programmes since taking over the funding of the annual grant in 2008. Prior to the dissolution of FETA earlier this year, FETA made decisions on their programme and priorities of repairs completely independently of Transport Scotland.
"Amey have informed us that the ongoing truss end strengthening works are to a different part of the truss end linkage system to that which failed earlier this week.
"The truss end link member, which transfers load to the pin linkage, and which has suffered a complete weld fracture near the pin joint, was not previously identified as requiring strengthening or to be at risk of failure. The unexpected nature of weld cracking leading to failure is highly unpredictable, and this issue is unrelated to the other strengthening works.
"A trial for the present truss end link brackets and works in the towers was completed on the northwest tower leg in May this year. Following assessment of this trial, Amey is now proceeding with design and strengthening works at the other three tower legs.”

myotherusernameisbetter · 07/12/2015 19:59

Oh dear Anthony you can't use the "brainwash" word!!

It's the sheep like behaviour of the MPs that gets me too - why nor try to have an original independent thought now and then, you never know, you might actually like it!

dementedma · 07/12/2015 19:59

Surely this is the fault of Westminster. Everything else in Scotland is.....

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/12/2015 19:59

Oops. Ignore the "Hi Kenny" - it was a C and P from Facebook Blush

Link to source here: www.scotsman.com/news/transport/key-forth-road-bridge-work-cancelled-5-years-ago-1-3968212

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 07/12/2015 20:00

Surely this is the fault of Westminster. Everything else in Scotland is.

I don't think it's anyone's fault really. Sometimes welds fail unexpectedly - its why the bridge is checked regularly.

AnthonyBlanche · 07/12/2015 20:15

I prefer to believe what engineers who know about the bridge and its maintenance have to say rather than a transport spokesmanItsAll. The consensus from those in the know is that repairs and maintenance have not been carried out properly for years due to SNP govt not making the money available.

Myother. I fully expect to be rounded up and sent for reeducation Grin. I suspect my name is on John swinney's list to be dealt with on his "day of reckoning".

Cheesypop · 07/12/2015 21:17

Ineed, I get on at Dunfermline Town, the 7.19 arrived almost full this morning so we are doing the 7.10 for the foreseeable. If you see a knackered hugely pregnant anxious-looking lady trying to finish her makeup in a crammed carriage... It's probably me Grin

INeedSomeHelp · 07/12/2015 21:20

Cheesypop I'll look out for you - although I may be asleep!

snowypenguin · 07/12/2015 21:23

dH has just walked in after leaving at 6 this morning. He's being packed off to stay with a friend in Edinburgh tomorrow.

Pobspits · 07/12/2015 22:33

Thanks for the advice apparently he's going via menstrie ...... We shall see!

FannyFifer · 07/12/2015 22:45

As far as I understand it, the fact repairs needed done was never a secret, the plan was to get the new bridge up & running then could shut down FRB & get the repairs done in their entirety.

The disruption caused by shutting down the bridge with no other one in place was something that was meant to be avoided, repairs were always going to be needed, timing of this was not anticipated.

Groovee · 07/12/2015 23:28

The parking at South Gyle was horrendous today. We do a car share for drama and people had parked in dangerous places.

harrasseddotcom · 08/12/2015 09:28

thats also my understanding of it FF. The repairs that need done to it would have required the bridge to be closed anyway but i guess the SNP were holding out hoping that the new bridge would be ready. Unfortunately its not, but not really the fault of the SNP.

dementedma · 08/12/2015 09:29

pops the A91 is pretty clear all the way to Stirling... a few snarls in the villages but that's mostly buses and school traffic.

INeedSomeHelp · 08/12/2015 09:32

I'm driving from Dunfermline to Glasgow today. Is my best bet to go up the motorway to Kinross and then down the A91? I'm a bit nervous because I don't know that road at all.

snowypenguin · 08/12/2015 10:11

Could you drive to Perth and take the bus to Glasgow?

myotherusernameisbetter · 08/12/2015 10:16

Well, it took me 50 minutes to get from Stirling to Dunblane and back again (about 12 mile round trip) , it took my colleague 40 minutes to get from Glasgow to Stirling (about 40 miles).

INeedSomeHelp · 08/12/2015 10:22

Think I'm going to go right up to Perth and then Stirling and on to Glasgow. I know it's a lot further but its motorway the whole way so hopefully will be moving.

myotherusernameisbetter · 08/12/2015 11:00

should be fine - my issues were because of the priority being given to the transfer of traffic from the A9 to M9.

ProvisionallyAnxious · 08/12/2015 11:32

They are relaxing some parking restrictions at stations.

curriegirl, do you have any more info on that?

Fortunately, I don't have to go across the Forth much before Christmas, but one time is very crucial - train on Xmas Eve from Leuchars station to get down to family. Very much want to drive there as will have tons of luggage (and it would be a two-leg bus journey of around an hour otherwise), but am worried about the station being full with everyone else parking up and catching trains over the preceding days!

DH is going down to Edinburgh tomorrow but will be catching a train after 9am in hopes of missing the rush hour - will let you all know how that goes...

snowypenguin · 08/12/2015 12:58

I read it on facebook at some point. Can't remember if it was the Bridge page or Willie Rennie or another politician.

INeedSomeHelp · 08/12/2015 13:39

Well my route to Glasgow worked better than I hoped. Probably only took me about 30 minutes longer than normal with the bonus that I was moving all the time rather than being stuck in traffic. I forgot the bonus would be that the M90 going North is really quiet because no traffic is coming over the bridge.

Poppies26 · 08/12/2015 18:54

Haggis - FETA was not labour dominated its convener was from Edinburgh council for six months and Fife council for the next six months. Feta submitted works needing done to Scottish Government who then had the finally decision dependent on budget. Even if the previous work had been completed this crack may have still occurred.

Iggi999 · 08/12/2015 19:11

Dh parked at Dalmeny today and said that many of the streets (where you could have left your car) were now coned off and he saw more than one traffic warden. How is that helping people? I thought restrictions were to be relaxed, not increased!

HirplesWithHaggis · 08/12/2015 19:27

Thanks, Poppies. I strongly suspect this crack would have happened under Labour, Tories, LibDem or, frankly, Little Green Men from Mars, structural engineering not being party political. The bridge was not designed for the sheer weight of traffic it's had to take, and that's pretty much that.