MSPs have been given a pledge that there will be no repeat of the Edinburgh trams fiasco in the building of the new Forth crossing.
Project director David Climie told the Scottish Parliament’s infrastructure and capital investment committee on Wednesday that he was “very confident” the bridge would be built “on time and on budget.”
He was speaking amid increasing concern about Scotland’s track record of delivering major capital projects in the wake of the humiliating chaos that has engulfed Edinburgh’s tram line.
But Mr Climie, who has overall responsibility for building the bridge, gave an emphatic guarantee that the project would not encounter similar delays and overspends.
“Other than something unexpected coming along, we are very confident that we will remain on time and on budget,” he said. “In terms of unforeseen circumstances the exposure to those risks remain largely with the contractor.
“Prior to the project being put out for tender we explored all the risks in great detail.”
The pledge was welcomed by Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw, who said: “As a former convener of the Forth crossing bill committee I am very encouraged by the summary you have given about the progress that has been made with the project since then.”
The new Forth crossing is the biggest capital investment project in Scotland for a generation and is viewed as a pet project of First Minister Alex Salmond.
The Scottish Government is determined to avoid any repeat of problems that have haunted Edinburgh’s tram project and previously hit the construction of the Scottish Parliament building.
Finance Secretary John Swinney and Transport Minister Keith Brown were able to announce a significant reduction in the cost of the bridge when they revealed the preferred bidder for the project in March
The Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors consortium, consisting of Dragados, Hochtief, American Bridge International and Morrison Construction, was chosen for its “technical strength” as well as its cost.
The bid meant the overall cost of the new bridge will be between £1.47 billion and £1.62 billion, compared to the previous estimate of between £1.7 billion to £2.3 billion.
After starting out priced at £545 million for 11.5 miles from the capital’s airport to Leith, the Edinburgh tram line has been shortened to eight miles, to St Andrew Square at the eastern end of Princes Street, while the bill has risen to £776 million.
However, Transport Scotland did successfully deliver the £120 million Clackmannanshire Bridge over the Forth on time and on budget, opened by the First Minister in 2008.