Transport Scotland - Forth Road Bridge maintenance works queries: EIR release

Information requested

Under the provision of the Freedom of Information Act, please advise:

1) Cost to date of works completed on the Forth Road Bridge since its closure to general traffic when Queensferry Crossing was opened.
2) Budget for the current and future tax years (if available) for “maintenance” on the Forth Road bridge.
3) Other than changing bulbs on the Queensferry Crossing last weekend (and checking the operation of diversion barriers), what other work was deemed necessary, along with the cost?
4) In October 2024, substantial surface repairs were completed on the approach road to FRB (before the old toll plaza). A few months later a complete replacement of the road surface took place, which beggars belief - so why?
5) Last month you completed the resurfacing of the pavement on the off-slip from FRB. The works took many weeks and resulted in a botched job and a worse surface to walk on. Why and at what cost?
6) Last month a full squad (around 15 “men”) repaired three potholes at Ferrymuir Gait. Substantial traffic management measures were put in place and works were inadequately completed. A considerable number of bad potholes are evident today, requiring a revisit, no doubt very soon. Who oversaw this shambolic project and is their performance ever reviewed?
7) The idiotic closure of the FRB to general traffic management measures should be reviewed as, local traffic could be able to use it. Is the use of a private car on the FRB illegal and are there any enforceable penalties?

As a resident of Queensferry I witness an abundance of spending in useless projects, including your operations. I would love to see improvements in efficiency and spending and will follow up my enquiry with my elected representatives, once I have the information requested.

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.

Q1. Cost to date of works completed on the Forth Road Bridge since its closure to general traffic when Queensferry Crossing was opened.
A1. Most of the information you have requested is published on the Forth Bridges website which can be found using this link: Forth Road Bridge Maintenance. Under regulation 6(1)(b) of the EIRs, we do not have to give you information which is already publicly available and easily accessible to you in another form or format. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

Costs for financial year 2024/2025 are £14,534,199.51
Costs for financial year 2025/2026 are £18,999,350.21

Q2. Budget for the current and future tax years (if available)for “maintenance” on the Forth Road bridge.
A2. 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. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because the budget for the current and future years has not been set. The budget will vary from year to year, depending on available funds and network priorities.

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 the budget for the current and future tax years for maintenance on the Forth Road Bridge, we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

Q3. Other than changing bulbs on the Queensferry Crossing last weekend (and checking the operation of diversion barriers), what other work was deemed necessary, along with the cost?
A3. During the works we carried out as much essential work as possible simultaneously to prevent future delays to drivers, this included:

• Replacement of overhead gantry signs at central and south towers damaged during high winds.
• Refreshing of white lining of the main carriageway and replacement of any missing road studs.
• Undertaking of structural inspections of the bridge including, the wind louvres, parapets, carriageway surfacing and overhead gantries.
• Removal of old architectural lighting from central tower.
• Maintenance of the low-level bollard lighting.

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. Transport Scotland does not have the information you have requested because final costs are not yet available.

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 the budget for the current and future tax years for maintenance on the Forth Road Bridge, we cannot provide information which we do not hold.

However, estimated costs for purchase of the sign lifting and installation are £40,343.71. Temporary diversion costs are £15,817.84 and barrier maintenance costs are £5,298.96.

Q4. In October 2024, substantial surface repairs were completed on the approach road to FRB (before the old toll plaza). A few months later a complete replacement of the road surface took place, which beggars belief - so why?
A4. Potholes on high-speed roads present a significant safety risk to motorists. Accordingly, when a defect is identified, our Operating Company, BEAR Scotland, is required to undertake repairs within specified response times to ensure the continued safety of the network.

Given the deteriorated condition of the carriageway, and to reduce the need for repeated reactive repairs, a programme of full resurfacing was carried out. This access road is strategically important and must be maintained in an appropriate condition to ensure it can be used effectively as a diversion route from the M90 in the event of an incident on the Queensferry Crossing.

Q5. Last month you completed the resurfacing of the pavement on the off-slip from FRB. The works took many weeks and resulted in a botched job and a worse surface to walk on. Why and at what cost?
A5. Our Operating Company, BEAR Scotland, has advised that this footway was resurfaced in response to concerns raised by members of the public regarding its condition. The surface had previously exhibited multiple cracks and had been subject to a series of temporary repairs to address potholes and related defects. The total cost of the full reconstruction of the footway was £29,860.

BEAR Scotland’s Planned Maintenance Manager undertook an inspection of the works on 06 May 2026 and identified a limited number of minor material defects. These are not considered to be indicative of a failure in workmanship. Overall, the works represent a marked improvement on the previous condition, with the surface now providing a substantially enhanced walking environment.

Q6. Last month a full squad (around 15 “men”) repaired three potholes at Ferrymuir Gait. Substantial traffic management measures were put in place and works were inadequately completed. A considerable number of bad potholes are evident today, requiring a revisit, no doubt very soon. Who oversaw this shambolic project and is their performance ever reviewed?
A6. Our Operating Company, BEAR Scotland, has reviewed records relating to two randomly selected Category 1 defects addressed during works undertaken in mid-April. The documentation indicates that six operatives were present on site for each of these repairs, with one carried out during daytime hours and the other during a nightshift.

At certain stages, additional Traffic Management personnel may also have been present to facilitate the three-way traffic management arrangement required near the junction with the B800, bringing the total number of personnel on site at those times to approximately eight or nine.

The defects identified at the time were assessed by inspectors, and the operatives completed the works in accordance with the instructions provided. A follow-up inspection was carried out by the inspection team on 12 May 2026 and no defects were found on the road at Ferrymuir Gait. There are current plans to resurface Ferrymuir Gait through to the Forth Bridges car park, including the car park itself, within this financial year.

Q7. The idiotic closure of the FRB to general traffic management measures should be reviewed as, local traffic could be able to use it. Is the use of a private car on the FRB illegal and are there any enforceable penalties?
A7. The purpose of the managed crossing or twin bridge strategy can be seen in the following report. Forth Replacement Crossing: Managed Crossing Scheme: Scheme Definition Report - Report on Scheme Development: August to November 2008

Private cars are not permitted to use the forth Road Bridge in accordance with:

The A90/A9000 Trunk Road (Forth Road Bridge) (Prohibitions on Use and Stopping) Order 2018. This is further detailed on the following website: Access Restrictions

Police officers can charge unauthorised users as road offence.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.