Fifty years ago we all admired the new Forth road bridge – a modern, elegant addition to a proud Scotland.
Today it’s out of service until the new year, owing to structural failures. So commiserations to Embra drivers, thousands of whom will have to find a new route to work, or take the train or a temporary ferry.
Come on, Nicola! Get it sorted!
Boadicea's Chariot 
I blame Alex Salmond. But then, I would, wouldn’t I? So the SNP can’t get anything together save for an anti-Westminster rant. Typical. The bridge symbolises a SNP-led Scotland. All rhetoric with no competence.
Luckily this helpful hack is lending a hand:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/an-impractical-guide-to-surviving-the-forth-road-bridge-closure-1-3966797
Meanwhile, now that the Embra region has now been crossed orf everyone’s ‘must visit’ list for a winter break, and to help Christopher to decide on his eventual bolt-hole, I append a friendly piece about Bath and Somerset:
http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/bath-is-top-choice-for-londoners-exiting-the-city-a93431.html
Bring back IKB.
I am opposed to the laying down of rules or conditions to be observed in the construction of bridges lest the progress of improvement tomorrow might be embarrassed or shackled by recording or registering as law the prejudices or errors of today.
Isambard K. Brunel
Good old Izzy! But, but……the Forth bridge is falling down!
Correct me if I am wrong but isn’t the original rail bridge Victorian?
I suppose the other one that has failed has concrete cancer as have so many structures from the 60’s?
CO: the original rail bridge was built between 1882 and 1890 and opened 4 March 1890. On a regular day between 190-200 trains travel over it. The Victorians knew how to build and they built well. So long as Victorian structures are properly maintained they are generally still in very good shape. I’ve been in 140-year-old buildings that are in better nick than buildings built 4-5 years ago — and to think that they didn’t even have building codes back then!
Yeah, but they had I.K.B. !
Used to travel that rail bridge overnight regularly when I lived in Aberdeen and then get fresh kippers taken on at Dundee, warm from the smokehouse, wonderful!!!!!
CO: IKB was a genius. He designed Dorchester West Railway Station. Lovely place, especially after it was finally renovated. Kippers, kippers! Delightful, delectable kippers! I can’t wait to land in Denmark to have proper kippers!
No, Danish kippers are over-smoked. Arbroath is the place (sic). 🎣
That could well be, Janus. Generally I buy the Hunnish variety — wonderful things. The Canadian variety is tolerable in absence of superior alternatives.
Janus, Arbroath smokies are not the same as kippers though.
There has been a problem with this bridge for some time, apparently strands in the suspension cables keep snapping. As only the entire cable(s) can be replaced at some point there will have to be a major reconstruction; perhaps that’s the reason for the new Queens Ferry Bridge.
The current problems are something new.
Would like to know if the steel was up to grade and where it was made!
Something dreadfully wrong there. I hope they have some decent forensic metallurgists.
Quite a lot of info here:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-34983063
Thanks jazz , but still doesn’t address the question why. Other bridges, such as the two Severn crossings are as old and as battered by weather and are still safe.
Pity, I doubt we will ever be told.