http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "FORTH ROAD BRIDGE GREENWASH CONDEMNED" en Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:49:28 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-378170 Fri, 10 Jan 2025 11:16:36 +0000 chdot 378170@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>And now</p> <p>“</p> <p>Drivers of electric vehicles would be allowed to use the Forth Road Bridge as part of a “fresh vision” for the crossing proposed by Alba MSP Ash Regan.</p> <p>She also said the bridge, which is restricted to buses and taxis, could also become a “venue for innovation or catalyst for modern tourism”.</p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/forth-road-bridge-ash-regan-electric-vehicles-tourism-4937067" rel="nofollow">https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/forth-road-bridge-ash-regan-electric-vehicles-tourism-4937067</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-25052 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:28:00 +0000 chdot 25052@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"THE Scottish Government has been accused of trying to "cover up" its liability for a multi-million pound payout to oil giant BP if work on the Forth Replacement Crossing damages an underground pipeline."</p> <p><a href="http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/breaking-edinburgh-news/Scottish-Government-tried-to-cover.6723648.jp" rel="nofollow">http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/breaking-edinburgh-news/Scottish-Government-tried-to-cover.6723648.jp</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-25038 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:51:01 +0000 Arellcat 25038@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'd call it the Skinny Bridge.</p> <p>Because it looks it, and because it would be a brazenly sarcastic take on the cost. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-25026 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:00:04 +0000 chdot 25026@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<br /> Labour MSP George Foulkes brands new Forth crossing 'a waste of money' <br /> "</p> <p><a href="http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/National/article/11164/labour-msp-george-foulkes-brands-new-forth-crossing-a-waste-of-money.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.thecourier.co.uk/News/National/article/11164/labour-msp-george-foulkes-brands-new-forth-crossing-a-waste-of-money.html</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23755 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:27:26 +0000 kaputnik 23755@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Forth Alternative Road Crossing [frae] Edinburgh </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23739 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:39:32 +0000 LaidBack 23739@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Good suggestion Min.</p> <p><em>Forth Alternative Road Traverse...</em> in the face of logic? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23691 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:40:24 +0000 Min 23691@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm sure we could be more inventive. Forth Alternative Road Traverse? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23686 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 13:03:35 +0000 Morningsider 23686@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>It is quite an inventive name though - after all, it isn't replacing anything. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23680 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:11:50 +0000 chdot 23680@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"THE Scottish Government has snubbed calls for a competition to name the new Forth road bridge, insisting it will be known as the Forth Replacement Crossing."</p> <p><a href="http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Snub-for-new-Forth-bridge.6716247.jp" rel="nofollow">http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Snub-for-new-Forth-bridge.6716247.jp</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23300 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:40:41 +0000 LJB 23300@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Great press release.<br /> They should try and mount a Facebook campaign about it - it's a great way to mobilise lots of people on a single issue campaign. I would join it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23192 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 21:46:48 +0000 SRD 23192@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>I walked the mile from the (expensive) conference hotel to my (much cheaper) Quality Inn hovel</em></p> <p>I did the same in Cape Town a few years back and had to put up with people telling me I was crazy. Had no problems at all, of course! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23186 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 19:21:52 +0000 Its_Me_Knees 23186@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Dependent on the areas, it may well have been that the Police were concerned for the safety of their strange foot borne guest.</em></p> <p>Mebbe. The area certainly didn't look remotely rough and, had the Feds been concerned for my safety, I would have thought they might try to speak to me and offer some advice? Still reckon they thought I was a commie... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23182 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 10:55:56 +0000 Smudge 23182@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Dependent on the areas, it may well have been that the Police were concerned for the safety of their strange foot borne guest :-/ </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23181 Sat, 05 Feb 2011 00:45:08 +0000 Its_Me_Knees 23181@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A good few years ago I attended a conference in San Diego. At the end of each day I walked the mile from the (expensive) conference hotel to my (much cheaper) Quality Inn hovel. Every day I was tooted by drivers and/or trailed by the police who clearly viewed this foot-based non-petrol-driven meandering as highly suspect. </p> <p>They probably thought I was a communist. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23140 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 15:11:55 +0000 Arellcat 23140@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Going for a walk in many US situations makes people suspicious.</em></p> <p>When I was staying at a motel somewhere in NY, to get to the diner on the next lot - essentially a walk across the motel car park to the next one - I had to climb over a wall and a fence. The official route was to get into the car, join the highway, leave the highway, park and get out of the car, and walk across the diner's car park. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23135 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:14:12 +0000 LaidBack 23135@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>but my hosts looked aghast when I set off on foot. Unwilling to chum the insane Brit they did the journey by car instead and got there about 40 seconds before I did... </em></p> <p>You were lucky you weren't arrested by the mall police! </p> <p>Going for a walk in many US situations makes people suspicious. New York is different of course and is now fairly pro-bike in areas. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-23099 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 01:26:29 +0000 Its_Me_Knees 23099@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@LaidBack: "Mall creatures need malls to drive to."<br /> Your take on The American Way was borne out by my experience on a recent trip to visit friends in North Carolina. We'd gone to a local shopping centre similar in size to Fort Kinnaird (but mostly comprised of stand-alone department stores several stories high, set well apart from each other). There was a sports emporium that I thought I would check out on the other side of the development from where we were parked. It was less than 200 metres away, it wasn't raining nor was the temperature below zero, but my hosts looked aghast when I set off <em>on foot</em>. Unwilling to chum the insane Brit they did the journey by car instead and got there about 40 seconds before I did... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22916 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 23:53:10 +0000 kaputnik 22916@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12347525">So Denmark is planning an 11-mile tunnel to Germany for the cost of £3.7bn</a>. </p> <p><em>"I spent £2.3bn and all I got was this lousy 1-mile bridge"</em> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22689 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:50:22 +0000 kaputnik 22689@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>shiny-new-toy factors overriding good sense</em></p> <p><a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/196082/For-sale-Two-fire-trucks-never-used/">I believe Lothian &amp; Borders have been guilty of this</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22686 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:39:26 +0000 wingpig 22686@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Kurt Vonnegut did a wee story thing once featuring the members of a volunteer fire brigade having it demonstrated to them how keeping and maintaining their existing appliance would be more economical than purchasing a new one, though they eventually ignored the advice, shiny-new-toy factors overriding good sense and calculational evidence. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22684 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:27:03 +0000 kaputnik 22684@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I didn't realise there were any radio stations with a number less than 4. Perhaps I'll have to look in to them. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22683 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:53:35 +0000 wee folding bike 22683@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Well there's Radio 4 and also Radio 7 which I listen to on the web, Radio 3 and Radio 2.</p> <p>That's the lot, isn't it? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22682 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:57:31 +0000 LaidBack 22682@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If it all goes to plan this bridge will be completed long before trains run on the ever-delayed Borders Railway or the T thing.<br /> We're a lot faster at building roads in Scotland than anything rail based. It's an easy tabloid style vote winner too - the lucky First Minister can cut the tape.<br /> The SG are also boyed by successful schemes like the A68 which now gets cars to the jam at Sherrifhall quicker than ever!</p> <p>This is to me a retro project - retreading all the old ground that we thought was left behind in the 60s.</p> <p>But... the next generation fully expect to have cars and live in an American lifestyle. We would expect that they would understand that car ownership doesn't work in cities but we forget the massive amount of greenwashing the car makers do to persuade them otherwise. My daughter really wants a Fiat 500 as that is a really green car you know! Part of this 'desire' culture is coming to them via smart phones and iPods. Wants? - 'you aint seen nothing yet'. The web is just getting geared up to really sell <u>- click here and drive away for only £100 </u>etc. (You can tell I'm wound up but you Radio 4 listeners out there forget the other 60 channels of consumerism that bombard young minds).</p> <p>Mall creatures need malls to drive to. New roads and bridges help. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22664 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:31:30 +0000 Morningsider 22664@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I salute the campaigners indefatagability! However, this is really now a lost cause. The Act to build the new bridge received Royal Assent on 20 January and the final tenders for its construction were submitted yesterday. The main contract will be awarded in spring. As every major political party supports this (sorry Greens) the election will have no effect. </p> <p>The new bridge is predicted to cost up to £2,300,000,000. This is approximately 100 years worth of Scottish public sector cycle expenditure. Annual running costs for the two road bridges will exceed Scottish Government expenditure on cycling.</p> <p>I'm kind of at a loss to understand how we have reached this situation - why do Fife commuters seem to hold such sway over politicians and senior officials (vast majority of freight already goes via Kincardine)? Does any of this make any sense to anyone? </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=2152#post-22659 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:05:42 +0000 chdot 22659@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"</p> <p>***News release released on behalf of The ForthRight Alliance - </p> <p><a href="http://www.forthrightalliance.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.forthrightalliance.org</a></p> <p>ForthRight Alliance</p> <p>NEWS RELEASE<br /> For immediate use: Monday 31st Janury 2011</p> <p>FORTH ROAD BRIDGE GREENWASH CONDEMNED:</p> <p>Call for ICE to sponsor urgent study into Forth Road Bridge cable-drying</p> <p>Responding to the news that the so-called "Forth Replacement Crossing" Project had won a "prestigious industry award" for the sustainability and environmental quality of its proposed work, Lawrence Marshall, chair of the ForthRight Alliance, a coalition of groups opposed to the construction of a Second Forth Road Bridge, said:</p> <p>"This award represents navel-gazing myopia of the worst self-congratulatory kind. The whole project to build an additional road crossing of the Forth at Queensferry at a cost to the public purse of around £2.3 billion reeks of financial incontinency and environmental lunacy.</p> <p>"If the Institution of Civil Engineers wish to promote sustainability then let them sponsor an urgent study into the efficacy of the cable drying work fully installed since September 2009 on the current Forth road bridge - and which, on the first Severn Bridge, reduced the humidity within sections of the main suspension cables by half within eighteen months of operation.</p> <p>"How on earth a project which in engineering terms isn't needed and which will double road capacity across the Forth at Queensferry can be regarded as "sustainable" is beyond the ken of all those who take a more holistic view of this mad-cap venture and can only see red where engineers apparently can see green."</p> <p>ENDS</p> <p>CONTACTS:</p> <p>Lawrence Marshall, Chair, ForthRight Alliance, on 0131 669 1336 or 07501 121984.</p> <p>NOTES TO EDITORS:</p> <p>[1] The ForthRight Alliance is a coalition of groups opposed to the construction of a Second Forth Road Bridge. The Alliance believes that a new road bridge is both unwelcome and unnecessary, as a series of reports have indicated that the problems with the Forth Road Bridge can be addressed without building a second bridge. See <a href="http://www.forthrightalliance.org" rel="nofollow">http://www.forthrightalliance.org</a> for further details.</p> <p>[2] Transport Scotland News Release, 30 January 2011</p> <p>- Project's sustainability and environmental proposals win prestigious industry award -</p> <p>Completing a highly successful week for the project, the FRC has also received a major industry award for the sustainability and environmental quality of its proposed work.</p> <p>The Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessment and Award Scheme (CEEQUAL) gave the FRC an 'excellent' rating for its Interim Assessment with a score of 92.7%.</p> <p>CEEQUAL is the assessment and awards scheme for improving sustainability in civil engineering and public realm projects and demonstrating the commitment of the civil engineering industry to environmental quality and social performance.</p> <p>The Scheme rigorously assesses performance across 12 areas of environmental and social concern looking for aspects where clients, designers and constructors go beyond the minimum to achieve high environmental and social standards.</p> <p>Speaking as he accepted the award at the annual Institution of Civil Engineers' Prestige Lecture in Edinburgh, FRC Project Manager Lawrence Shackman said:</p> <p>"This is a truly substantial achievement and demonstrates our commitment to going the extra distance in mitigating the environmental and social impact of the FRC project.</p> <p>"Achieving high quality design across all aspects of the project, from the mitigation works to the roads and the bridge itself, has been a priority for us since the very start of the project.  I am delighted to receive this award from CEEQUAL in recognition of this commitment.</p> <p>"We are committed to ensuring these high standards of design and sustainability are maintained through the construction of the project to its eventual opening in 2016."</p> <p> * For more information on the CEEQUAL awards go to <a href="http://www.ceequal.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.ceequal.com</a></p> <p>For more information contact:<br /> Ross Hornsey<br /> Transport Scotland<br /> 077609 90893</p> <p>Ref: TS514</p> <p>[3] The Severn dehumidification project is mentioned in the Highways Agency Annual Report 2008-09 (published 16 July 2009), available online at <a href="http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0809/hc06/0641/0641.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0809/hc06/0641/0641.pdf</a> including the following information:</p> <p>"In December 2008 the Highways Agency's partners Severn River Crossing plc, InterRoute, Faber Maunsell, C Spencer Ltd and Laing O'Rourke successfully completed the installation of the dehumidification system on the M48 Severn Bridge main suspension cables. The first of its kind to be fully operational in the UK, the project involved the installation of four dehumidification plant rooms within the bridge, and wrapping the entire length of the suspension cables in a polymer based material. The individual wires making up the  suspension cables are dried by passing de-humidified air along the wrapped sections. Recent monitoring  results are positive, showing humidity reduced to 50% in some places, with the trend heading towards the target of below 40%.  This system reduces the effects of corrosion to the main cables."</p> <p>[4] Details of the Forth road bridge dehumidification scheme can be found at </p> <p><a href="http://www.forthroadbridge.org/dehumidification" rel="nofollow">http://www.forthroadbridge.org/dehumidification</a> </p> <p>"The works to install a dehumidification system on both cables was successfully completed before the target end date of 31 October 2009. Dehumidification of the west cable commenced in March 2008 and is producing the expected slow and steady fall in the relative humidity within the cable.  The dehumidification of the east cable commenced in September 2009 and it is expected to produce the same fall in relative humidity levels within the cable.</p> <p>The first indication of the system's effectiveness will be available in 2012 when the cable is re-inspected."</p> <p>(this date of 2012 is a year later than indicated by the Bridgemaster in September 2008 when he wrote that "it is predicted that it could take 18 months for the main cables to 'dry out'" and that a "further inspection is thus planned around 2011 ... to determine if the corrosion has been halted or significantly reduced." </p> <p>(<a href="http://bit.ly/gOXBAe&#038;gt;http://bit.ly/gOXBAe" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/gOXBAe&#038;gt;http://bit.ly/gOXBAe</a>)</p> <p>END OF NEWS RELEASE<br /> " </p>