HAVING A new crossing of the Forth in place before the existing road bridge is closed to heavy goods vehicles will be a race against time, a Fife MSP said yesterday, writes Steve Bargeton, political editor.

Last week The Courier revealed that the Scottish Labour Party is poised to back the construction of a new bridge or a tunnel before 2013.

That decision, supported by First Minister Jack McConnell, was taken after heavy lobbying from Labour MSPs, including Dunfermline East’s Helen Eadie. “The First Minister last week confirmed that there will be a new Forth crossing and that it would be in place before the existing bridge closes to traffic in 2013,” she said.

“I have always argued for a new crossing, even when I was a councillor as roads and transportation spokesperson for Fife Council.

“Now there will be a race against time since so much work will need to be done to meet the predicted timescales that have been set by the bridge master Alistair Andrews.

“I am relieved that we now have this long awaited announcement.

“Scott Barrie (Labour MSP for Dunfermline West) and I have had many meetings with political colleagues and the First Minister has clearly taken on board the imperatives that we presented to him.”

Ms Eadie said there would be “sighs of relief” at the news from concerned Fife businesses.

She said it was important that plans to build a rail link to Edinburgh Airport also go ahead.

The SNP have said they would scrap the project to help pay for a new Forth crossing.

“In our opinion it is vital that both key projects go ahead,” she said.

“This will help safeguard existing jobs and bring many new jobs to the central belt of Scotland as construction plans start to develop.”