Queensferry Crossing officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen

On Monday 4th September, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accompanied Her Majesty The Queen to the grand opening of the much-anticipated £1.35Bn Queensferry Crossing.

This was the culmination of six years hard labour. Around 15,000 skilled workers lent their expertise to the landmark project, and – despite carrying a considerable price tag – Queensferry Crossing finished £245M under budget. Not bad for the UK’s tallest bridge.

Remarkably, yesterday’s inauguration also marked the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Forth Road Bridge opening some 53 years previous.

Following a ribbon cutting ceremony along the southern boundary of the bridge, The Queen – together with The Duke of Edinburgh – unveiled a plaque on the northern edge and declared Queensferry Crossing officially open.

The bridge opened briefly to traffic on Wednesday 30th August, but closed over the weekend to allow 50,000 lucky pedestrians to walk the length and breadth of the bridge. Today, Queensferry Crossing will play host to some 10,000 school pupils and community representatives, before reopening to motorists on Thursday 7th September.

“This crossing is the tallest bridge in the UK. It has required 150,000 tonnes of concrete, 23,000 miles of steel cabling and 19 million hours of labour,” surmised Nicola Sturgeon.

“But, far more important than those statistics are the benefits this bridge will bring. It will improve journey times, and bring benefits to families and businesses – not just in Fife and the Lothians, but across Scotland.

“It is already attracting global attention. Together, the three Forth bridges will bring people from around the world to admire their ingenuity and their beauty.

“It is an honour to have Her Majesty The Queen opening the new bridge for Scotland’s communities,” the First Minister concluded, “just as she opened the Forth Road Bridge, linking Fife and the Lothians.”

Lesley McLeod, Chief Executive of the Association for Project Safety, recently explored the legacy of the River Forth’s now iconic bridges and the toll taken by their construction. Read more here.

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