A Chance To Name The New Forth Road Bridge

The general public are to be offered the chance to name the new Forth Replacement Crossing, with a panel of civic, business and community representatives considering all entries, and then shortlisting names for a final public vote next year.

The construction programme is Scotland's largest infrastructure project in a generation and began last year with a projected completion date in 2016. A completion date for the new crossing was brought forward in the wake of concerns about the condition of the Forth Road Bridge, which is now more than 40 years old.

The new structure will take advantage of modern state of the art wind shielding, allowing it to remain open in more turbulent conditions than its predecessor can stand.

The money for the project is coming from the Scottish government's capital budget, and is expected to support more than 1,200 new jobs during construction and protect up to 3,000 posts. The bridge itself is costing £790m, while the the Forth crossing project - including motorway upgrades - is to cost between £1.45bn and £1.6bn.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "The Forth Replacement Crossing, as it is currently known, is an exciting, iconic and economically vital project that we want the people of Scotland to take pride in.

"We fully recognise that finding the appropriate name for the new bridge is a matter of considerable interest both locally and nationally.

"It is absolutely right then that the people of Scotland have the final say on the identity of this historic project."

Jan Short, of North Queensferry Community Council, said: "The building of this bridge is an historic event in the life of a village which is already steeped in history.

"The new bridge is very significant to the village of North Queensferry in many ways and it is important that we are represented on the bridge naming advisory panel."