Delay warning for bridge drivers

The Forth Road Bridge will be closed for 16 weekends

Drivers are being warned to expect major delays as a £4.7m resurfacing project on the Forth Road Bridge gets under way.

The northbound carriageway between Edinburgh and Fife will be closed over 16 weekends, with a contraflow in place on the opposite lane.

Dehumidification equipment to fight the 41-year-old bridge's corrosion problems will also be installed.

Work will start from 1900 BST on Fridays until Mondays at 0600 BST.

Poor weather

The weekend roadworks will stop on 18 June for the busy tourist season, including the Royal Highland Show, and will resume on 7 September.

The project is then expected to last until October 29, though it may last longer if works are suspended because of poor weather.

Alastair Andrew, FETA general manager and bridgemaster, said: "Unfortunately, due to the weight and volume of traffic now using the bridge, we need to resurface more frequently than in the past.

"Three years ago we replaced the southbound road surface and now we're doing the same job on the northbound carriageway.

"The unique design of the Forth Road Bridge's carriageway means that work has to be carried out by hand and we require an uninterrupted 59-hour period for each section of resurfacing. This is why full weekend closures are necessary."