People will soon be able to take their first glimpse of the multi-million pound Upper Forth Crossing at Kincardine when the bridge deck starts its journey across the river today.

Drivers passing the site will start to see visible progress on the £120 million scheme to build a new crossing over the River Forth - a project to improve east coast connections, open up economic opportunities, ease congestion in Kincardine and improve access to Alloa.

The major project will also involve extensive improvements to the connecting trunk road network, with 6km of roads being constructed and work already well underway at Bowtrees Roundabout.

The project, the largest construction scheme currently on-the-ground in Scotland, is being delivered by contractor Morgan Vinci, which has been on-site since June 2006.

Construction will involve one of the longest deck pushes in the world and started with the first launch of the bridge deck on Monday 22 January, 90 metres inland from the river bank.  

The third launch, today, Monday will see the structure start to come over the river’s north bank as it makes its journey to the south bank over the next 15 months. Each launch moves the deck out by 45 metres and takes two weeks.

Graham Porteous, Transport Scotland’s Project Co-ordinator, said:

"Carrying out the third push launch is another major step forward in the new Upper Forth Crossing project and is taking forward an element of construction that is a significant technical feat of engineering in its own right. 

"People will now start to see the deck coming out across the Forth and we expect it to land on the other side in May next year.

"We are pleased work is progressing on time and look forward to the long term benefits this project will bring in improving connections between the Forth Valley and Central Scotland by providing another Forth crossing."

The bridge deck will be 1.2km long, weight 35,000 tonnes and will sit on 25 piers which are each filled with 840 tonnes of concrete. There will be a total of 29 push launches.

For more details see A876 Upper Forth Crossing at Kincardine Project