Queensferry Crossing intelligent road studs: EIR release

Information requested

Please provide the following answers in relation to the "intelligent" road studs which are currently being installed on the approaches to the Queensferry Crossing.

a. What is the total construction costs for the project?

b. How many of these studs will be installed on completion?

c. What are the approx. dimensions and weight of each stud?

d. What are the anticipated annual maintenance costs?

e. Who funds the construction and annual maintenance costs?

f. Please share the cost/benefit analysis for the project.

Response

As the information you have requested is 'environmental information' for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.

This exemption is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.

To aid with my request I have retained the labelling from your request above.

a. The intelligent road studs are just one component of an automated barrier system to allow a rapid diversion of M90 traffic onto the Forth Road Bridge if the Queensferry Crossing has to close. The studs will illuminate in conjunction with the deployment of the diversion to delineate the lanes through the crossovers. The stud manufacture and installation, including all necessary electrical circuitry, will cost approximately £700k.

b. 230 studs will be installed in total.

c. Each stud is 130mm in diameter, 75mm deep and weighs 1.2kg.

d. There is minimal maintenance associated with the intelligent road studs. A visual inspection for damage and a check of electrical circuitry will be completed by the component manufacturer twice each year, at a cost of approximately £5k.

e. Transport Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government, will provide the construction and maintenance costs.

f. Under the terms of the exception at regulation 10(4)(a) of the EIRs (information not held), Transport Scotland is not required to provide information which it does not have. We do not have the information you have requested because no cost/benefit analysis was conducted for the use of intelligent road studs as part of the project. These studs are components of the barrier system and are there for safety reasons.

This exception is subject to the 'public interest test'. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exception. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exception. While we recognise that there may be some public interest in information about cost/benefit analysis, clearly we cannot provide information which we do not hold. 

About FOI

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