Bridge Too Far?

It would appear that Carnegie isn't the only one thinking that maybe the massive reductions in the cost of the proposed new Forth Road Bridge didn't come at no cost.

"FIFE POLITICIANS have warned of the importance of getting the new Forth bridge project right first time. MSP John Park has voiced his fears the new bridge will be out of date as soon as it opens. Late last year cut-price plans—costing anything from £1.72 billion to £2.34 billion—for the new bridge were announced as the centrepiece of the Scottish Government’s strategic transport projects review. The massive cut in the original estimate of building a £4.2 billion replacement crossing came with a major design rethink."

Can you really cut over two billion pounds out of the cost of the new Bridge without it having any impact?

How Much?

So exactly how much will the proposed new Forth bridge really cost? It would appear that no-one really knows.

"THE new Forth Road Bridge could be the most expensive bridge in human history, an MSP has claimed. Current estimates put the cost at £4.2 billion. But Green MSP Patrick Harvie, convener of the Scottish Parliament's transport committee, said a much longer bridge between Germany and Denmark had been costed at £3.4bn. He asked Finance Secretary John Swinney at the committee: "Is this the most expensive bridge in human history?" Mr Swinney said the estimated cost was at 2016 prices and also included the extensive road network leading to the bridge. But he agreed to provide the committee with any appropriate international price comparisons officials had made. Mr Swinney also said the new crossing was needed despite evidence that decay on the existing road bridge was slower than first thought."

If Mr Harvie's logic is correct then the new Forth bridge should be cheaper than £3.4 billion. Good news for everyone even the Greens.