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Writer's pictureKenneth Gibson MSP

The Queen Officially Opens “Breathtaking” Queensferry Crossing



The Queen officially opened the "breathtaking" new Queensferry Crossing, hailing the construction of the bridge as an "extraordinary achievement."

It sits alongside the Forth Road Bridge and the Forth rail bridge, with the Queen stating:

"The three magnificent structures we see here span three centuries, are all feats of modern engineering and a tribute to the vision and remarkable skill of those who designed and built them."

The event to unveil the £1,350 million crossing after six years of construction work is taking place exactly 53 years on from the day when the Queen opened the neighbouring Forth Road Bridge.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon MSP also addressed the crowd, saying the creation of the bridge was an "outstanding achievement" as she thanked those involved in the project, telling them:

"The nation's heart is bursting with pride at what you have achieved."

The Red Arrows marked the occasion with a flypast while a flotilla of boats travelled under the bridge, which was blessed by Church of Scotland Moderator, The Right Rev Dr Derek Browning.

The ceremony was the high point in a week of events marking the opening of the bridge more than a decade after plans for the feat of civil engineering were drawn up. On Monday of last week, the crossing was illuminated by a night-time light show to reflect the symbolic handover of the bridge from contractors to the SNP Government.

The first cars drove over the structure in the early hours of Wednesday, with many of the motorists sounding their horns and blowing whistles as they travelled over it. The bridge then closed again on Friday to allow 50,000 people the opportunity to take part in a "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to walk over the bridge during the weekend, ahead of the royal opening event. It will reopen to traffic on Thursday.

The 1.7-mile Queensferry Crossing - the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world - is the third structure connecting the Lothians and Fife, and sits slightly to the west of the Forth Road and rail bridges.

ENDS


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