Forth Bridge is the people's favourite

The Queensferry Crossing may be the engineering sensation of the year, but the old Forth Bridge is still far and away the best.

By The Newsroom

Published 30th Mar 2018, 13:23 BST

Updated 30th Mar 2018, 13:33 BST

That was the resounding verdict of a fun “X-Factor” style talent contest staged this week by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

It saw almost half of those who gave their preference in a public vote going for the iconic rail bridge.

Expert presentations were made on the various strong points of the Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge and Queensferry Crossing, and enthusiasts were able to go online to view the debate at Strathclyde University.

The central question was: “Which bridge has had and will continue to have the greatest impact on society?”, and the result - perhaps surprising for some - was 46 per cent for the Forth Bridge, 35 per cent for the road bridge and just 19 per cent for the Queensferry Crossing.

A Twitter poll yielded a similar result, with no less than 75 per cent voting for the Forth Bridge.

Forth Road Bridge Twitter