Transform Scotland - For Sustainable Transport

12 May 2010

FoES news release: Additional Forth Road Bridge

FoES news release:

MSPS BLIND TO CLIMATE IMPACTS OF ADDITIONAL BRIDGE

Commenting on The Scottish Parliament Committee considering the Forth
Crossing Bill, Juliet Swann, Head of Projects and Campaigns at Friends of
the Earth Scotland, said:

"At a time when we are expecting huge cuts from the new UK Government, it
makes no sense to propose spending millions of pounds on this unnecessary
development. As well as facing up to the fiscal crisis and the necessary
cuts, we must face up to the climate crisis and cut projects like the Forth
Crossing."

Notes to editors

1. Parliamentary analysis of the the cost requirements for the second Forth
Crossing, set against the £30 million budgeted this year, suggests we'll
have to pay out £583 million in the next two Scottish budgets (2011/12 and
2012/13):
- 2007/08 and 2009/10 - 56m
- 2010/11, 2011/12, and 2012/13 - £613m
- 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 - £1,179m
- Post 2016 - £196m
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/briefings-10/SB10-05.pdf

This suggests that given the Bridge requires a total of £613m between
2010-2013 and yet only £30m was budgeted towards the Bridge this year
(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/284860/0086518.pdf), we need to pay
£583m in the next two budgets.

2. Friends of the Earth Scotland supports the maintenance of a road bridge
across the Forth.  A study undertaken by W A Fairhurst and Partners found
that replacement of the main cables is technically possible at a cost of
£122 million.