Three down, one to go…

105 of 110 deck units lifted leaves 52 metres, just over the length of an Olympic swimming pool, to complete the new bridge deck.

Engineers working on the Queensferry Crossing have lifted the remaining piece of deck between the north and centre tower deck spans. This means the deck on the new bridge now stretches from Fife right across to the end of the south fan.

The closure of the north and centre deck fans is the third of four principal closures required to complete the structure. Pictures and a video of the operation have been released showing the tight margins within which engineers have to work to safely and successfully complete the lift.

The video is available via the following link and can be embedded in websites: https://youtu.be/zVTt6JMxGEA

Following the lift, the two sections of deck appear misaligned. The next stage of work involves using ballast and adjusting cables to ensure the height is aligned and ready for the final closure of the two sections.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown said:

“Connecting all three of the Queensferry Crossing towers, from Fife right over to the south deck fan is another example of the good progress being made on the project. Despite the huge size and weight of the units being lifted, lifting them into place is a very precise operation.

“This is truly world class engineering taking place to bridge the Firth of Forth for the third time in consecutive centuries. Successfully building the new bridge and the road network requires careful planning and delivery of over 10,000 operations. The workforce continue to do an excellent job in often very tough conditions.

“Watching this iconic landmark take shape over the past 5 years has been remarkable. The Queensferry Crossing is visible from miles around and there is now over 2 kilometres of deck in place.

“Overall, the project remains significantly under budget and on schedule to open in May 2017.”

FCBC Project Director, Michael Martin, said:

“In total, we will have four principal deck closures on the Queensferry Crossing.  Earlier this year, we closed the gap between the North Tower deck span and the northern approach viaduct.  Then, in October, we achieved closure between the Centre and South Tower deck spans. We have now lifted the Centre Tower/North Tower closure section into place and work is on-going to fix it permanently into position.

“We are continuing to make considerable progress on the project as a whole. In fact, for the first time we can say that the three towers and their decks are now connected directly to Fife. The focus now is on achieving the technically challenging final closure between the South Tower and the southern approach viaduct which is planned for early in the new year.”

Background

• The Queensferry Crossing is due to open in May 2017
• A download link for video footage is available to broadcasters on request
• For further video, images and information on the FRC project please visit: www.queensferrycrossing.co.uk