Forth Road Bridge marks 60th anniversary - but how long will it last?

It is precisely 60 years since the precocious Queen Elizabeth II opened 1 of the astir recognisable man-made landmarks successful Scotland - the Forth Road Bridge.

For the archetypal clip it enabled motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to easy question betwixt Fife and Edinburgh, replacing a centuries-old ferry service.

But 7 years agone it was replaced by a newer span - the Queensferry Crossing - starring to questions astir the aboriginal of the aged roadworthy bridge.

Now 1 adept has told BBC Scotland News helium expects the span volition comfortably transcend its 120 twelvemonth beingness span.

When the Forth Road Bridge was built, the 1.5 mile (2.4km) operation crossed the Firth of Forth was the longest suspension span extracurricular of the United States.

As the measurement and value of modern vehicles increased, the £1.34bn Queensferry Crossing was built to instrumentality the burden.

Today the Forth Road Bridge is utilized by section buses, cyclists and pedestrians, portion cars, vans and lorries usage the caller crossing.

David Bishop, BEAR Scotland's southbound eastbound portion bridges manager, said the Forth Road Bridge was primitively designed to past 120 years.

"The span has worked hard implicit the years, connecting communities successful Fife and Lothian portion carrying a importantly greater value and measurement of postulation than it was primitively designed for," helium added.

But since postulation was diverted connected to the Queensferry Crossing successful 2017, regular important attraction has been carried retired connected the older structure.

"Essential attraction has been successfully carried retired to forestall deterioration of the main cables and different cardinal structural components to guarantee the aboriginal structural integrity of the bridge," Mr Bishop said.

And present determination has been truthful overmuch enactment done connected it experts accidental it is apt to outlast its projected 120 years.

Mr Bishop, said: "With a continued attraction regime, the Forth Road Bridge tin comfortably surpass its archetypal plan beingness of 120 years."

That means it could inactive beryllium lasting good beyond the twelvemonth 2084.

Mr Bishop added: "We're delighted to beryllium celebrating 60 years of the Forth Road Bridge.

"This is inactive 1 of the world's astir important agelong span suspension bridges and it's an honour for america arsenic engineers to beryllium liable for maintaining it."

The Forth Road Bridge was officially opened by the precocious Queen connected 4 September 1964.

Nearly 40,000 tonnes of alloy and 125,000 cubic metres of factual went into the bridge's construction.

By August 1962, 30,000 miles of high-tensile alloy wires had been spun unneurotic to marque up the main cables.

The last container girders were swung into spot astatine the extremity of 1963, covered successful the Union Flag and Lion Rampant to people the occasion.

The last measure for the operation - which took 7 years - was £19.5m.

For galore years drivers had to wage a toll to transverse the bridge, to screen the outgo of its operation and ongoing maintenance.

The tolls were yet scrapped successful 2008.

At its peak, the span carried astir 65,000 vehicles a day.

But 1 of the problems with the Forth Road Bridge was it was often closed owed to precocious winds.

So the Queensferry Crossing was fitted with 3.5m-high baffle barriers to interruption up and deflect gusts of wind.

Mr Bishop added: "We look guardant to the adjacent 60 years and beyond wherever we expect nationalist transport to play an expanding relation successful our future."

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop said: "The Forth Road Bridge has agelong been portion of scenery on the River Forth and it is fitting that we people its 60 years of service.

"While the Forth Road Bridge present plays a antithetic relation than it did 60 years ago, it inactive provides important resilience arsenic a nationalist transport corridor.

"I look guardant to seeing it proceed this important relation for years to come."