By Lars Niven

A REPORT that a new crossing over the Forth at Queensferry may not be ready until three years after the road bridge closes has been dismissed as “scaremongering.”

It follows the decision by roads agency Transport Scotland to award a 15-year contract to whoever takes on the management of the £1 billion project.

The Forth Estuary Transport Authority has previously warned wear and tear could force the complete closure of the Forth Road Bridge by 2019.

A national newspaper suggested the 15-year contract, which has just been advertised, would see the new crossing open three years later.

However, Transport Scotland said the contract was simply part of the planning process and the extra time was built in as a precaution.

Its target date for a third bridge, or a tunnel, at Queensferry was still between nine and 111/2 years.

A spokeswoman told The Courier yesterday, “It is standard practice to build in flexibility in contracts of this type.

“We are working towards the timescale we published recently, which is between nine and 11.5 years.

“We fully recognise the importance of progressing this project as quickly as possible, which is why we have begun the process of appointing the main project consultant now.”

A source close to the project said, “The way the story is presented is all about selling newspapers.

“It’s scaremongering.

“Transport Scotland are doing exactly the right thing by building in an extra margin in terms of time.

“Not to do so would be foolhardy in the extreme.”

Delivering a replacement crossing will be a lengthy process, and final approval has yet to be given.

The final reports recommending the type of crossing and location are expected to be submitted to Scottish ministers within months.

Pressure has been growing for a new crossing given concerns over the long term viability of the Forth Road Bridge, which only opened in 1964.

Corrosion has been found in its two main cables and some of the thousands of individual wires that go to make them up have snapped.

FETA is installing a system to pump air through the sealed cables in an attempt to dry them out.

However, no one knows if de- humidification will work, and if the cables continue to deteriorate the bridge is likely to close to heavy goods vehicles by 2013.

The Federation of Small Businesses in Fife said yesterday it would be extremely concerned about any gap between the old bridge closing and the opening of a new crossing.

Branch chairman David Chalmers said, “The elongated timescale appears to take no cognisance of the fact that any break in the crossing will spell economic disaster for the whole of the east of Scotland, and destroy any chance of inward investment for a long time to come.

“The question has to be asked —why would a new crossing take 15 years or more to complete?

“There are many examples of bridges and tunnels around the world, of greater length, but taking far less time to complete.

“In France the Millau viaduct, 2.4 kilometres, 38 months and £282 million, and the Hong Kong eastern harbour tunnel, 2.25k long, with two three-lane highways, two rail tubes, now carrying 75000 vehicles per day—built in five years.

“Is it now the case that we are in the grip of such a stifling bureaucracy, lacking any forward vision, whose own jobs are assured, but who are prepared to gamble the economic future of Scotland, despite all the many warnings from business organisations and the public?”