Queensferry Crossing
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom · 2011–2017 · £1.34bn (2017 prices)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchProject cost reduced significantly from initial estimates through procurement and design efficiencies. - Achieved CEEQUAL Excellent rating for sustainability. - Initial ice shedding issues led to temporary closures, highlighting challenges in extreme weather conditions for cable-stayed bridges. - Designed for a 120-year lifespan.
Key engineering challenges
Challenging climate of the Firth of Forth. - Complex geotechnical conditions. - Innovative structural design for a cable-stayed bridge. - Mitigating ice shedding from cables.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Transport Scotland
- Lead contractor
- Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) consortium (Hochtief Construction AG, American Bridge International, Dragados, Morrison Construction)
- Lead designers
- Arup, Jacobs, Ramboll
- Project type
- new build
- Scale
- 2.7 km overall length; longest 3-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world; tallest bridge in the UK
- Disciplines
- Civil; Structural; Geotechnical; Mechanical; Electrical; Systems
- Standards & frameworks
- CEEQUAL (BREEAM Infrastructure)
Sources: Jacobs: https://www.jacobs.com/projects/queensferry-crossing - The Forth Bridges: https://www.theforthbridges.org/about-the-forth-bridges/queensferry-crossing/ - Transport Scotland: https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/forth-replacement-crossing/project-details/ - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensferry_Crossing - Audit Scotland (2018): https://audit.scot/uploads/docs/report/2018/nr_180802_forth_crossing.pdf - New Civil Engineer (2021): https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/solution-wanted-to-solve-queensferry-crossings-falling-ice-woes-22-01-2021/