Murdo has urged motorists in Mid Scotland and Fife to be “on guard” in the event that the Queensferry Crossing has to close again due to inclement weather.
He is concerned after reading a Freedom of Information response from Transport Scotland to the Scottish Conservatives, which asked how many times ice fell from the Crossing over the course of the last winter, and also asked what contingency measures are in place if this happens.
In their response, Transport Scotland said the Queensferry Crossing was closed at around 9.30am on November 23, 2024, due to ice being ‘observed’ as falling, and a decision was taken to divert vehicles on to the Forth Road Bridge until the ‘risk had subsided.’
Transport Scotland stress that a ‘risk-based procedure’ is in place to allow ‘dedicated duty managers’ to implement the closure of the Queensferry Crossing at the appropriate time if there is a risk of falling ice. They then state that when this happens, automated barriers are deployed north and south of the bridge to divert traffic quickly and safely on to the Forth Road Bridge.
Commenting, Murdo said: “It is all very well for Transport Scotland to talk about these contingency measures, but motorists should remember that the Queensferry Crossing was closed for more than 15 hours back in November 2024, after ‘ice was observed falling’ from its cables.
“BBC Scotland reported at that time that one vehicle had its windscreen cracked as a result. It has been found that cables on the Crossing have proved vulnerable to ice accretions, and people should note that this was the fourth time the bridge was closed since it opened back in 2017.”
Murdo continued: “At the time of the last bridge closure, Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop said that ‘we can’t necessarily fix the problems caused by the combination of humidity and ice,’ which is very alarming indeed. The fact that we know the Crossing is vulnerable to further closure due to the possibility of ice falling from its cables during our winter months is very concerning. If the Crossing were to close again it will once again cause massive disruption and chaos to motorists and vehicles in Mid Scotland and Fife, and beyond.
“It really is a ridiculous situation to have a bridge that can stay open in high winds but is likely to close when temperatures plummet due to the likely scenario of large chunks of ice falling on to vehicles below, and endangering lives. The SNP Government should have ensured that this would not happen before the Queensferry Crossing was opened.
“Prior to its opening in August 2017, the designers of the Queensferry Crossing claimed it would not close due to high winds, which was correct, but they didn’t look at the possibility of it closing due to ice on the cables. I’m sure residents in Mid Scotland and Fife will agree with me when I say this issue should have been tackled before the Crossing was opened.”
