'Challenging' Forth Road Bridge repairs complete

The work was prompted by the major fault which led to the complete closure of the crossing

A "hugely challenging" £10m repair project - prompted by the discovery of a fracture which closed the Forth Road Bridge - has been completed.

Spencer Group carried out the work to replace truss end links which connect the bridge deck to its towers.

The project had its origins in the discovery of a major fault on the crossing in December 2015.

A truss end link was found to have fractured, causing the bridge to shut completely for about three weeks.

The company said the work had posed a "range of major challenges"

A temporary splint was applied to the link, followed by a permanent structural repair to that area.

Bridge owner Transport Scotland subsequently decided to replace another seven key links and, following a tender process, selected Spencer Group for the scheme.

The company's managing director Gary Thornton said: "We're delighted to have completed this important project to maintain the structural integrity of the Forth Road Bridge and to add it to our extensive track record over many years of delivering critical, high-level works on landmark crossings.

"The project showcased the expertise we bring to works such as this, which pose a range of major challenges.

"The solutions we put in place ensured critical components were replaced without having to interrupt traffic flows at any time."

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Amey, the long-term maintenance contractor for the Forth Road Bridge, represented Transport Scotland on the project.

Major bridges manager Angus Bruce said: "A key requirement of the project was for the contractor to have previously worked on long-span, cable-supported bridges and Spencer Group is one of only a handful of contractors to have this experience.

"Spencer Group is a very experienced contractor, with expertise in managing this type of work, assessing the issues involved and delivering the project safely.

"The quality assurance and technical requirements were extremely high, so we needed a highly competent contractor who would work diligently, look at all aspects of the project, ensure everything was risk assessed and that method statements were created and agreed with all parties before the works were carried out."