Today the official opening of the Queensferry Crossing took place at both sides of the already iconic structure.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today accompanied Her Majesty The Queen, and the Lord Provost the Rt Hon Frank Ross was in attendance with his complete retinue of the Lady Provost and the Depute Lord Provost.
Joined by the Lady Provost and Depute Lord Provost today for the major Royal opening of the new #QueensferryCrossing pic.twitter.com/AkbluC1y9m
— LordProvostEdinburgh (@LordProvostEdin) September 4, 2017
The bridge has taken six years to build, involving more than 15,000 people, at a cost of £1.35 billion – and the cost was £245 million under the original budget.
Following a ribbon cutting ceremony on the south side of the bridge, undertaken by Her Majesty, The Queen was accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh in her official car to an event on the north side where she unveiled a plaque officially declaring the Queensferry Crossing open.
This was followed a traditional folk performance by singer Karine Polwart, and the recital of a specially commissioned poem by Scotland’s Makar, Jackie Kay.
Showcasing a wide range of Scottish talent, there were also performances by, among others, KT Tunstall and King Creosote.
The Red Arrows performed two flypasts above the bridge – going from south to north and also east to west across all three bridges while a flotilla comprising around ninety craft sailed below.
Speaking at the event, the First Minister said: “This crossing is the tallest bridge in the UK. It has required 150,000 tonnes of concrete, 23,000 miles of steel cabling and 19 million hours of labour.
“But, far more important than those statistics are the benefits this bridge will bring. It will improve journey times, and bring benefits to families and businesses – not just in Fife and the Lothians, but across Scotland.
“It is already attracting global attention. Together, the three Forth bridges will bring people from around the world to admire their ingenuity and their beauty.
“It is an honour to have Her Majesty The Queen opening the new bridge for Scotland’s communities, just as she she opened the Forth Road Bridge, linking Fife and the Lothians.”
Looks like all the Conservative councillors made sure they got their goody bags after the official opening! Wonder what was inside……
Edinburgh Conservative Councillors @on_lothianbuses taking us back from official opening #QueensferryCrossing @maxmitchell91 @Mr_Mark_Brown pic.twitter.com/cQjT9VBAp3
— Susan Webber (@SJWebber_PHW) September 4, 2017
Photos courtesy of The Scottish Government
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
