Painting of the Forth Bridge is about to begin as part of a £7.5 million refurbishment.
The North Queensferry approach span is in line for a facelif, following inspections and repairs to the metal.
Network Rail said the steel will not need painting again for up to 20 years.
Balfour Beatty has won a contract to carry out a range of maintenance projects around the 130-year-old rail crossing.
Alan Ross, Network Rail Scotland’s director of engineering and asset management, said: “The Forth Bridge has been a key part of Scotland’s Railway for over a century and this work on the approach spans to the famous structure is vital to ensure we continue to maintain a safe and reliable railway.
“Balfour Beatty have been supporting our restoration and maintenance programmes on the bridge for two decades and will bring a wealth of experience to this latest project.
“We are also committed to delivering this vital investment in Scotland’s Railway with a minimum of disruption to the local community and without interrupting train services.”
Colin Hardie, of Balfour Beatty, said: “Our expert team takes great pride in restoring a structure with such global significance and we look forward to beginning the new refurbishment works so that Forth Bridge can be enjoyed by the many for generations to come.”
The north approach span, which carries the railway over North Queensferry, will be repainted with the same glass-flake epoxy paint system used to restore the bridge itself during the decade-long £130m refurbishment programme completed in 2011.
Engineers will soon start erecting a protective scaffold casing before grit-blasting layers of old paint off the steelwork to allow inspections to take place.
The metal will then be repaired and repainted, with no disruption to train services during the works.
During their contract Balfour Beatty will also maintain and monitor bridge bearings, refurbish staff welfare facilities on the structure and refurbish Inchgarvie lighthouse.
