Incredible £1.3bn ‘triple tower’ UK bridge that’s longest of its kind in world

An incredible £1.3bn bridge in Scotland boasts the title of the world’s longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world.

The construction of the 1.7-mile-long Queensferry Crossing, which connects the Lothians with Fife, commenced in 2011 following discoveries that the main cables of the Forth Road Bridge were weakening.

The new crossing was inaugurated in 2017 after six years of construction and stands alongside the Forth Road Bridge and the Forth Bridge above the Firth of Forth.

It connects Edinburgh at South Queensferry and Fife at North Queensferry and bears the brunt of the local traffic load.

Its venerable predecessor continues to serve buses, bicycles, and pedestrians.

The Queensferry Crossing had an expected lifespan of 120 years when it opened.

However, experts suggest the Queensferry Crossing could surpass expectations due to its design being “designed for maintenance”.

Initial plans for a new bridge across the Firth of Forth began to emerge in the 1990s despite vocal opposition from environmentalists.

The design life of the Forth Road Bridge came under question as it was originally designed to handle 11 million vehicles a year but routinely exceeded the figure by 2006.

Security checks on the bridge found that its main suspension cables had already suffered a considerable loss of strength because of corrosion, highlighting the need for a new crossing.

Preparatory work on the Queensferry Crossing began in September 2011 along the southern end of the M90.

Parts of the bridge deck were built in China and Spain and then delivered by sea two years later, while the approach steel bridge sections were constructed in Darlington.

The new bridge was due for completion in December 2016 but the deadline was pushed back to May 2017 because of weather delays.

The late Queen Elizabeth II officially inaugurated the bridge on September 4, 2017.

A series of new roads were also built, including one linking the M90 and the M9 for the very first time.