The 1.7-mile (2.7km) crossing over the River Forth will fully open to traffic for the first time on Wednesday, 30th August, 2017. The new bridge between the north of Edinburgh and Fife will take most of the 24 million vehicle journeys a year that currently use the ailing Forth Road Bridge.
On Monday night, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon switched on the lights and a projection was beamed over the new Queensferry Crossing to mark a week of celebrations around its opening.
On September 2nd, 3rd and 5th, around 60,000 members of the public will be allowed to walk over the Queensferry Crossing. The bridge will be officially opened by the Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, on September 4th.
World Class
- The structure spans 1.7 miles (2.7km) making it the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world.
- The biggest infrastructure project in Scotland for a generation.
- In 2013 a new world record was achieved for the largest underwater continuous concrete port. The 15 day non-stop operation successfully poured 16,869 cubic metres of concrete into the water-filled south tower caisson.
- Prior to the completion of the final closure sections on the deck, the balanced cantilevers which extend 322m north and south from the central tower, i.e. 644m tip to tip, were recorded by Guinness as the longest ever.
- Highest bridge towers in the UK. (210m).
- Longest free-standing balanced cantilever in the world. (Centre Tower deck fan was 644m wide prior to being connected to rest of structure).
- The bridge to approximately 10 million man hours to construct.