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Monday 1 Aug 2005

FORTH BRIDGE REOPENS WITH NEW LEASE OF LIFE

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

The Forth Bridge is back in action today (Monday 1 August) after eight days of major works were completed on time and on budget. Teams of employees worked in shifts around the clock to blast off ageing paint, carry out repairs and paint the bridge with an industrial coating designed to last up to 30 years. Network Rail made the most of the bridge closure by carrying out an additional £5m of works at Jamestown Viaduct, south of Inverkeithing. The structure has been reinforced with 120 tonnes of steel to help it cope with more traffic and increase its lifespan. Ron McAulay, Network Rail’s Director, Scotland, said: “Hard work, years of planning and good teamwork have paid off and we’re delighted to report both the Forth Bridge and Jamestown Viaduct reopened in the early hours of this morning. “Completing such complex work in just eight days was never going to be easy but the teams involved have risen to the challenge and have finished everything we set out to achieve. “We would like to thank passengers for their patience during this essential closure. The work we’ve done now has helped safeguard the future of both structures and is part of our continuing investment in Scotland’s railways.” More than 4,000 tonnes of scaffolding was used on the Forth Bridge during the works and the areas being worked on were encapsulated in industrial ‘cling film’ to ensure the environment was not polluted by paint. The experienced teams included principal contractors Balfour Beattie on the Forth Bridge and Mowlem on Jamestown Viaduct.