The £1.3bn bridge will actually open to traffic for the first time on 30th August, before closing on 2-3 September for the Queensferry Crossing Experience, when 50,000 members of the public have the unique opportunity to walk across the bridge – following a ballot that attracted almost 250,000 entries.
On 5th September, an additional ‘community day’ has been added, giving up to 10,000 more people from local schools and community groups on both sides of the Forth the chance to walk on the bridge. On 6th September the bridge will re-open to traffic with no pedestrian access.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “It is very fitting that the Queensferry Crossing will be officially opened by The Queen, exactly 53 years to the day from when she opened the Forth Road Bridge. Importantly, this celebratory event will recognise the thousands of people who have been involved in the construction of the new bridge.
“The Queensferry Crossing is a symbol of a confident, forward-looking Scotland and – as well as providing a vital transport connection for many years to come – it is a truly iconic structure and a feat of modern engineering.”
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The bridge was built by Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors, a consortium of Hochtief, Dragados, American Bridge and Morrison Construction, under a £790m contract.
FCBC’s contractual completion date is June but it had been working to a December 2016 completion until bad weather caused delays last year and opening was pushed back firstly to May 2017 and then the end of August.
The 2.7km structure will be the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world and also by far the largest to feature cables that cross mid-span. This design provides extra strength and stiffness, allowing the towers and the deck to be more slender.
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