When Alex Salmond and Gordon Brown meet for talks this week, for the first time for ten months, the funding of the new Forth Crossing must be high on the agenda.
It's all gone very quiet since the First Minister begged Westminster to bail them out following the failure of their Scottish Futures Trust to raise any funds for the bridge.
This is a major transport artery for Scotland and we, especially the business community, need certainty about its future. We need answers - quickly.
I agree that this item is very important indeed & we need to get the new crossing started asap. But one thing about the new structure on the bridge re staffing especially the amount of managers? should be looked at after all it's our money that is keeping them in a job. So Willie maybe you can ask a few questions on our behalf.
ReplyDeleteI am concerned that the 'new bridge' concept has become another conspicuous landmark for some officials to see as 'their' noteworthy contribution to posterity - like the Millenium Dome, and the Scottish Parliament Building. It seems all too likely that (like those) it would end up costing way over the estimates and become a financial millstone round the neck of the public - something to rue for its exorbitant cost.
ReplyDeleteI reckon it likely that dehumidification may prolong the present bridge's life satisfactorily or that (if still necessary) replacing/reinforcing the present cables could be achieved - both at far less cost and environmental impact than building a new bridge.
I believe too that the Transition Towns initiative and others (to localise our sources of food and our work within our communities ie nearer our homes) may in the coming 25-50 years reduce road traffic of both cars and lorries.
I am sure there is much that could be achieved instead, far more wisely, with the resources that any bridge would consume.
Graham
ReplyDeleteYou have sprinkled your remarks with "likely" as you can't be certain and certainty is what we need. This crossing is far too important to leave to chance. If we wait to see if the dehumidfication has worked it'll be too late to construct the new crossing in time and the bridge would need to be shut to replace the cables.
I too want to encourage more sustainable lifestyles but your solution is rather drastic.
I'd rather not have to spend money on a new crossing but there is little choice.
Willie