IT’S long been a trainspotter favourite, but now the Firth of Forth will boast a new group of fans ... bridgespotters.
According to tourism chiefs, the opening of the Queensferry Crossing will herald a new wave of ‘bridge tourism’ rivalling areas like San Francisco, London and Sydney.
The £1.35bn crossing is being hailed a feat of modern engineering as the world’s longest three-tower cable stayed bridge.
Standing beside the Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Bridge, it will be the only place in the world to boast three bridges spanning three centuries in one location.
The Forth Road Bridge was opened in 1964 while the iconic Forth Bridge was opened in 1890 and was awarded Unesco recognition as a feat of historic engineering.
Visit Scotland believes that the Firth of Forth could now emulate the success of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney’s Harbour Bridge and Tower Bridge in London - all of which regularly attract millions of visitors every year.
Malcolm Roughead, VisitScotland Chief Executive, said the opening of the Queensferry Crossing “marks Scotland’s place in history as the only destination in the world to boast such a remarkable trilogy”. “This is undoubtedly a golden opportunity for tourism and the chance for Scotland to become a global destination for bridge tourism,” he said.
The 1.7-mile Queensferry Crossing between the Lothians and Fife has been “designed for maintenance” to ensure it runs smoothly for decades with wind barriers installed to withstand the strongest gusts and avoid closure.
The long-awaited opening on Wednesday comes among a host of events to mark the occasion, including a public walk across the bridge and a visit from the Queen who will officially open it on September 4 alongside the Duke of Edinburgh
It will be his first official appearance since retiring from solo royal engagements.
After ongoing work is complete on the Forth Road Bridge, it will be used for public transport with the Queensferry Crossing being used as a motorway.
Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The people of Scotland will take this new bridge to their hearts and we invite the world to join in celebrating its opening as a celebration of the magnificent feats of innovation, engineering and construction, but also the history and heritage of the three bridges and surrounding areas.
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