Rail-ly iconic: The Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Bridge
For a long time, the River Forth effectively divided the east of Scotland from its source in the Trossachs to the Firth by Edinburgh. The first bridge east of Stirling where the river widens was opened in 1885.
The swinging railway bridge between Alloa and Throsk carried trains until 1968. It was largely demolished in 1970.
The world-famous Forth Bridge opened in 1890 – while it is a recognised icon, at the time it was not without controversy.
Earlier plans for a bridge, designed by Sir Thomas Bouch, had got as far as laying foundations but was abandoned when his Tay Bridge failed spectacularly in 1879.
Bouch was booted off the project and it was handed over to Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. During its construction, more than 450 workers were injured and 98 killed.
Road traffic started to need a route north and south and in 1932 the Kincardine Bridge was begun. It was completed in 1936.
It had a central swinging section which remained in use until 1988.
Further downstream, cars continued to cross the Forth by ferry. Meanwhile, an ambitious scheme for a Forth tunnel was being hatched.
In 1955 the Maunsell Scheme would run under the river close to the rail bridge. However, the plan was abandoned for being too expensive and difficult to implement.
In 1964 the Forth Road Bridge opened its tolls for business. It quickly became a crucial part of the Scottish transport infrastructure.
Today there are concerns over the condition of the bridge.
The Clackmannanshire Bridge at Kincardine was completed in 2008 and opened by First Minister Alex Salmond.
BRIDGE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
