By Steve Bargeton, political editor

MINISTERS WILL give the “immediate go-ahead” for a new crossing of the Forth if the SNP win the Holyrood elections in May.

At the SNP conference in Perth last night, party leader Alex Salmond gave businessmen a categoric assurance that a new crossing would be a priority for a nationalist-led administration.

He described a new crossing as “the most important transport task facing Scotland today.”

Labour and Liberal Democrat ministers have postponed a decision until July next year.

Under the SNP plan, part of the funding, expected to be in the region of £1 billion, would come from scrapping the Executive’s plans for a £650 million rail link to Edinburgh Airport.

The Forth Road Bridge could be closed to heavy goods vehicles in 2013 because of corrosion on the main cables, prompting fears that the economy of the east of Scotland could be plunged into chaos. Last night Mr Salmond told a fringe meeting of the Federation of Small Business at the conference that an SNP-led government would undertake a “swift assessment” of rival bridge and tunnel options and fast-track a new crossing through the planning and parliamentary process to ensure that the new crossing was in operation before 2013.

“Clearly we cannot allow this crucial transport artery to be closed even partially,” said Mr Salmond.

“It is the responsibility of government to deal quickly and effectively with the threat proposed by the corrosion on the current Forth Bridge.

“Making the right decision on a replacement for a Forth bridge is the most important transport task facing Scotland today.

“There is already widespread concern in the business community and frustration at the lack of leadership on this issue from the Labour/Liberal Democrat Executive. I can assure them this will change, and in government the SNP is ready to take the right decisions on issues of such national importance.”

Mr Salmond said ministers in an SNP-led Executive would act quickly to get a new crossing built and in operation.

“The bottom line is that we cannot afford the chaos that will follow a partial or complete closure of the bridge,” he said.

“We must be in a position to give the immediate go-ahead for a replacement crossing—to be ready to cut the soil—if the engineering assessment of the current bridge’s condition does confirm that we do need to introduce restrictions.

“It’s time to end the uncertainty for Scottish business and commit to a new Forth crossing. That is … a decision the SNP in government is prepared to take.”

Mid Scotland and Fife SNP MSP Bruce Crawford said, “The Forth Road Bridge is an essential artery for transport throughout east and central Scotland.

“Closing or restricting this route would impact on each and every alternative north-south route and create substantial difficulties, not only for businesses based on either side of the Forth but many businesses in Scotland.

“This is unacceptable,” Mr Crawford declared.

“This is the right decision for Fife and for all of Scotland.”

Also last night Mr Salmond confirmed that an SNP-led Executive would scrap plans to build a rail link to Edinburgh Airport.

“The current Airport Rail Link threatens to be a costly failure with Edinburgh Airport now asking for indemnity to cover the danger of tunnel collapse damaging the runway at the airport,” he said.

Instead an SNP government would improve existing rail journey times, including cutting 15 minutes off the Aberdeen to Edinburgh time.