Queensferry Crossing Closure Due to Ice Deemed a ‘Safety First’ Measure

Scotland’s transport secretary stated that closing the Queensferry Crossing during Storm Bert was a “safety first” necessity. The crucial motorway bridge spanning the Firth of Forth remained inaccessible for over 15 hours due to the danger of falling ice, resulting in a cracked windscreen on one vehicle. Fiona Hyslop confirmed that the Forth Road Bridge, serving as an alternative path, was made available to general traffic within 25 minutes, indicating the effectiveness of the contingency strategy. The cables of the £1.34bn Queensferry Crossing have demonstrated susceptibility to “ice accretions,” making Saturday’s incident the fourth closure since its inauguration in 2017. Ms Hyslop attributed the ice accumulation to a specific mix of atmospheric conditions. She informed BBC Scotland’s The Sunday Show, “We can’t necessarily fix the problems that’s caused by the combination of humidity and ice.” She noted that other significant road crossings, including the well-known bridge connecting Denmark and Sweden and another in Canada, have encountered comparable problems with ice. “I’m not going to get into the details of the design on that – but the Øresund Bridge people might be familiar with, they also have to have closures when there are similar ice accretions,” she stated. She added, “Port Mann in Vancouver – it’s more solid, they have to wait until the ice actually melts – but in terms of that response, safety always has to come first.” Monitoring systems identified the danger of falling ice on the Queensferry Crossing at 10:20 on Saturday morning, coinciding with Storm Bert’s arrival, which caused snow and disruption across numerous Scottish regions. Barriers were promptly shut, and vehicles were redirected to the older Forth Road Bridge, typically designated for buses and taxis. The crossing resumed operations at 01:48 on Sunday morning. Hyslop remarked, “Having that alternative of the Forth Road Bridge is anticipated as the best and most rapid response.” She further explained, “That was actually tested at the beginning ot this month – they could divert to that within 14 minutes. And it took 25 minutes yesterday.” Spanning 1.7 miles (2.7km) and carrying the M90 motorway over the Firth of Forth, the bridge represented Scotland’s most substantial infrastructure endeavor in a generation upon its opening by Queen Elizabeth II in September 2017. Deterioration in the cables of the Forth Road Bridge, which commenced operations in 1964, necessitated a reduction in traffic volume on the older structure. However, it quickly became apparent that the new bridge’s cables were more susceptible to icing issues compared to the older bridge, which had only experienced one ice-related closure throughout its existence. During the initial closure in early 2020, eight vehicles sustained damage from falling ice, compelling drivers to undertake an extensive detour via the Kincardine Bridge. Subsequent research has indicated that maintaining clean cables can diminish the quantity of ice formation, though it will not entirely resolve the issue. In 2021, technicians descended the bridge using abseiling techniques to clean the cables with soap and water, with additional cleaning procedures conducted each year. Bear Scotland, the entity responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Queensferry Crossing, stated that this problem impacts several cable-stayed bridges, typically those situated further north. Dave Bishop, the bridges manager, clarified: “Ours is a very short duration issue – and nowhere throughout the world has developed a solution to this issue. “The conclusion we’ve come through it there’s no easy way to prevent ice sticking to the cables that isn’t more disruptive to road users than allowing it to happen and diverting the traffic to the Forth Road Bridge.” He attributed Saturday’s closure to an exceptionally uncommon weather phenomenon. “We haven’t had an event like that in over three years,” he commented. He added, “Although we think the cleaning would have helped in the incident in Saturday, we didn’t expect it to be fully effective, and that’s why as well as the cleaning of the cables, we’ve been planning for a diversion over the Forth Road Bridge.”