In a “pivotal” year for the new Forth crossing, the £1.6 billion project is still on time and budget.
The work which caused most upheaval for travellers is completed on both sides of the Forth, so 2013 will be the year when Scotland sees the bridge’s three towers begin to emerge from the Forth.
With significant parts of the works up and running ahead of time, project director David Climie said: “We are delighted with where we are. People are increasingly interested and excited by it.”
That is reflected in the response to the quest to find a name for the structure.
It has been revealed that more than 6,000 names have been suggested a clear indication it had captured the public’s imagination, according to transport minister Keith Brown.
Mr Climie said there had been nothing unexpected so far.
“If you had asked myself and Carlo (Germani, the FCBC project director) if we are happy with where we are at right now, the answer is definitely yes.”
Community liaison officer Ewen Macdonell explained the work so far and what the public can expect to see taking shape this year.
So far a quarter of a million tonnes of material has been dredged from the bed of the Forth to make way for the foundations. Beamer Rock has been prepared to form the base of the central tower.
Work on the reinforced concrete foundation will begin in March, followed by the north then south towers.
Meanwhile, steel built in Shanghai for the deck will start to arrive by boat after a 45-day journey in May and June.
The south tower in particular could be a world beater. Mr Macdonell said it has the deepest foundation, and a caisson stretching 30 metres in diameter.
He said: “The team hopes to pour in underwater concrete all 1,800 cubic metres of it in one swoop, working round the clock. If we do it in one we believe it will be the biggest underwater concrete pour ever undertaken.”
While the next 18 months will see the towers emerge from the depths, work will progress from either side of the Forth on the approaches and on the link roads.
Part of this will see the B981 at North Queensferry diverted around the south of Dunfermline waste water treatment works.
“The message is that we are very much on track to have a December 2016 completion, with the full ITS corridor operating and the existing bridge used as a public transport corridor,” Mr Climie added.