The Forth Road Bridge marks its 60th birthday

It is exactly 60 years since the late Queen Elizabeth II opened one of Scotland’s most recognizable man-made landmarks – the Forth Road Bridge.

For the first time, motorists, cyclists and pedestrians can easily travel between Fife and Edinburgh, replacing centuries-old ferry services.

But seven years ago it was replaced by a new bridge – Queensferry Crossing – leading to questions about the future of the old road bridge.

Now one expert has told BBC Scotland News that he expects the bridge to exceed its 120-year lifespan.

When the Forth Road Bridge was built, the 1.5-mile (2.4km) structure spanning the Firth of Forth was the longest suspension bridge outside the United States.

As the volume and weight of modern vehicles increased, the The £1.34bn Queensferry Crossing was built to take the load.

Today, the Forth Road Bridge is used by local buses, cyclists and pedestrians, while cars, vans and lorries use the new crossing.

David Bishop, BEAR Scotland’s south east unit bridge manager, said the Forth Road Bridge was originally designed to last 120 years.

“This bridge has worked hard for many years, connecting communities in Fife and Lothian while carrying a greater weight and volume of traffic than it was designed for,” he said.

But since traffic was diverted to the Queensferry Crossing in 2017, significant maintenance is regularly carried out on the old structure.

“Important maintenance has been successfully carried out to prevent damage to the main cable and other key structural components to ensure the future structural integrity of the bridge,” Mr. Bishop said.

And now there is a lot of work done by experts if it will last longer than the proposed 120 years.

Mr Bishop, said: “With an ongoing maintenance regime, the Forth Road Bridge could comfortably exceed its original design life of 120 years.”

That means it can still stand beyond the year 2084.

Mr Bishop added: “We are delighted to be celebrating 60 years of the Forth Road Bridge.

“It is still one of the most important suspension bridges in the world and it is an honor for us as the engineers responsible for maintaining it.”

The Forth Road Bridge was officially opened by the late Queen on 4 September 1964.

Nearly 40,000 tons of steel and 125,000 cubic meters of concrete went into the construction of the bridge.

By August 1962, 30,000 miles of high tension steel wire had been twisted together to make the main cable.

The last box girder was swung in late 1963, draped in the Union Flag and Lion Rampant to mark the occasion.

The final bill for construction – which took seven years – was £19.5m.

For years, drivers have had to pay a toll to cross the bridge, to cover the cost of ongoing construction and maintenance.

The toll was finally abolished in 2008.

At its peak, the bridge carried around 65,000 vehicles a day.

But one of the problems with the Forth Road Bridge is that it is often closed due to high winds.

So the Queensferry Crossing is equipped with a 3.5m high baffle barrier to break up and deflect gusts from the wind.

Mr Bishop added: “We look forward to the next 60 years and beyond where we expect public transport to play an increasingly important role in the future.”

Transport Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Forth Road Bridge has long been part of the landscape along the River Forth and it is fitting that we are marking 60 years of service.

“While the Forth Road Bridge plays a different role today than it did 60 years ago, it still provides vital resilience as a public transport corridor.

“I look forward to seeing him continue this important role for years to come.”