Forth Crossing Bill
The Scottish Government will introduce legislation to enable the construction of a new bridge over the Firth of Forth
The Forth Crossing Bill will be introduced into the Scottish Parliament later this year.
It is clear that the Forth Road Bridge cannot be relied upon to continue to carry the burden of being the principal Forth crossing into the future. The Forth Replacement Crossing is designed to safeguard this vital cross-Forth connection in Scotland's transport network
Therefore a refined strategy for the Forth Replacement Crossing has been developed which incorporates the Forth Road Bridge, makes best use of existing infrastructure and has less environmental impact. This strategy allows for the existing bridge to be used to carry public transport, pedestrians and cyclists. Initially, the public transport corridor will be dedicated to buses and taxis but has the potential to be adapted to carry a Light Rapid Transit system in the future.
On December 10, 2008, Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change announced to the Parliament that the Forth Replacement Crossing will be procured through a conventional design and build contract, from within Scottish Government resources. The cost of the new crossing will be between £1.7 billion to £2.3 billion in outturn costs inc. VAT and the project will be publicly funded without user tolls.
The construction of the Forth Replacement Crossing will provide a major boost for the Scottish economy and will create opportunities for employment and businesses over an extended period. These opportunities will be highlighted within current procurement rules, to all contractors and suppliers.
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