Motorists face nine weeks of roadworks at Queensferry Crossing

They form the next phase of the project to improve traffic diversions, and follow on from a trial of a new system of moveable automated barriers to allow M90 traffic to be diverted over the Forth Road Bridge more rapidly. The work gets underway on Monday, February. 19. It will involve four nights of resurfacing works north and south of the crossing which will not be closed to traffic, but diversions will be in place.

The resurfacing work to maximise the lifespan of new road studs will be followed by installation of the intelligent road studs themselves, with two weeks of overnight works beginning on Monday, February 26 with further diversions planned.

In March and April, the automated barriers will be upgraded with new components to allow the system on both sides of the crossing to be operated by a single button, further reducing the time it will take to divert traffic. Various lane and road closures will be required, with two weeks of works on the south side commencing on March 11, followed by another two weeks on the north side from April 8.

Chris Tracey, BEAR Scotland’s south east unit bridges manager, said: “This new system will dramatically reduce the time it takes to open a diversion via the Forth Road Bridge, should the Queensferry Crossing need to close for any reason.

“Last year we carried out a successful trial of the automated vehicle restraint barriers and we’re now ready to install intelligent road studs and upgrade the control system so that it can be deployed at the touch of a single button. These improvements will further reduce the time it takes to open the diversion route, should this be required. Once these works are complete, we’ll carry out another full trial of the system later in the year.”