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Forth Road Bridge closed to traffic due to 'gale force winds exceeding 65mph'

The Forth Road Bridge has been closed to all traffic while those on the coast have been warned of a 'danger to life' from wave overtopping.

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Update: The bridge has now reopened to permitted vehicles, except double-decker buses, vehicles with trailers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

A major bridge has been closed to all traffic and a “danger to life” warning has been issued for those living near the coast amid Storm Kathleen.

The Forth Road Bridge has been closed to all traffic, including cyclists and pedestrians, due to gale force winds exceeding 65mph.

A decision was made around 3.50pm to close the bridge completely.

The route had been closed to all traffic except taxis without trailers and single-deck buses earlier on Saturday afternoon.

The decision comes as Scotland continues to feel the impact of Storm Kathleen which is expected to bring winds of up to 70mph – and potentially the hottest day of the year so far.

Storm Kathleen: 70mph gusts and flood warnings amid weather alert

‘Unseasonably strong’ winds of up to 70 miles per hour are forecast for parts of Scotland on Saturday.

About 70 flights departing and arriving at UK airports before midday on Saturday were cancelled as the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind.

SEPA has issued 18 regional flood alerts and 40 local flood warnings stating that there is a “real danger to life” from wave overtopping.

Vincent Fitzsimons, SEPA’s Flood Duty Manager, said: “Across the weekend, Scotland is braced for impacts from Storm Kathleen including very high winds and coastal flooding in western areas.  Flooding impacts are expected across western coastal areas throughout the weekend.

“Impacts start in the Solway coast and Firth of Clyde on Saturday and then move around the coast to the eastern side of the country over the next few days.  Of particular concern is likely impact to communities in the Western Isles and Orkney late Saturday and across Sunday.

“On top of already high tides, Kathleen will bring a storm surge and large waves. This combination is particularly dangerous – especially around high tides.

“There is real danger to life from wave overtopping, particularly around causeways, coastal roads and paths.  Disruption to travel and infrastructure is possible, as is isolated flooding to coastal properties and communities.

“While the risk is greatest around high tide times, our message is clear:  take extra care if you are near the coast at any point and stay well clear of waves and water.  Be careful when travelling around exposed coastal areas and don’t walk or drive through flood water as there may be hidden hazards.

“Flood Alerts and Warnings are in place so stay up to date though our website. We will continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7 and review regional Flood Alerts and local Flood Warnings as required.

“We advise people to sign up to Floodline to receive free updates for where they live, or travel through, directly to their phone. People can also check our flood updates for all the latest information and view the three-day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what conditions are expected further ahead.” 

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Queensferry Crossing diversion tonight: Traffic will use Forth Road Bridge in full trial of new automated diversion barriers

T raffic will be diverted from the Queensferry Crossing onto the Forth Road Bridge tonight as engineers carry out the final full trial of the new automated barrier system which will allow quicker diversions in future.

Up until now, diversion arrangements had to be put in place manually and it took six hours to complete, meaning that traffic was sent via the Kincardine Bridge instead, a long detour for many drivers.

The new system involves eight barriers which move themselves across the carriageway at the touch of a button to redirect traffic on the M90 motorway from the Queensferry Crossing to the Forth Road Bridge. The first full trial deployment of the automated barrier system saw traffic running over the Bridge just 38 minutes after all traffic on the approaches to the Queensferry Crossing had been stopped.

Tonight’s diversion, between midnight and 8am, will affect traffic in both directions. When a red X is displayed above all lanes, traffic must stop. Once all traffic has stopped the automated barriers will be moved and traffic will then be diverted via the Forth Road Bridge. Drivers who ignore the red X will risk a £100 fine and three points on their licence. 

David Bishop, south-east unit bridges manager for BEAR Scotland, who manage the crossing, said: “This new system will significantly reduce the time it takes to open a diversion via the Forth Road Bridge, should the Queensferry Crossing need to close for any reason.

“Last year we carried out a successful trial of the automated vehicle restraint barriers and the improvements we have made since then will further reduce the time it takes to open the diversion route.

“The trial diversion in the early hours of April 21 will allow us to test the new system and identify and address any issues before it needs to be used in future.”

Fast Lane for Sustainable Cross-Forth Travel

The Forth Road Bridge will fully reopen tomorrow as a dedicated public transport corridor, giving passengers a head start on their journeys between Edinburgh and Fife.

The news means buses and taxis are now able to enjoy dedicated lanes between the M9 near Newbridge and Halbeath in Fife. This will be particularly welcome at peak times when public transport passengers will be given priority, making their journeys quicker and more reliable.

The reopened bridge also marks the launch of a new campaign, Fife in the Fast Lane , promoting smart public transport journeys in and around Fife. The collaborative marketing campaign by Transport Scotland, Stagecoach and ScotRail highlights using smart tickets for travel on either bus or train, providing more options for buying, collecting and storing your travel tickets.

Routes for walking and cycling across the bridge will also be opened, allowing for active travel participants to enjoy a cleaner, quieter crossing, without the regular vehicle traffic experienced previously.

The move also signals the “Managed Crossing” vision for cross-Forth travel being realised in full. First announced by the Scottish Government in December 2008, two years before the £1.35 billion Forth Replacement Crossing was approved by the Scottish Parliament, the Queensferry Crossing and connecting road upgrades aim to substantially improve the reliability of the M90 for cars and HGVs, providing a resilient route for cross-Forth traffic. This new structure replaces the existing Road Bridge, without attracting additional traffic to the area. It has always been envisaged that any demand for extra capacity on the route would be met by sustainable forms of transport.

With the road orders approved for the Queensferry Crossing for it to officially become a motorway, there are changes to the type of vehicles that can use the new bridge, with non-motorway traffic no longer allowed access to the Queensferry Crossing, instead using the Forth Road Bridge as an alternative.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said:

“It is tremendously satisfying to see our vision for a managed, dual-bridge strategy come to pass just over nine years after it was first announced. The original decision allowed us to substantially reduce the cost of the overall project by retaining the FRB, therefore reducing the size and cost of the new bridge. Our commitment to encouraging the use of sustainable transport remains resolute and today’s news means that additional demand for cross-Forth travel has the very attractive option of enhanced park and ride facilities at Ferrytoll and Halbeath as well as dedicated priority across the Firth of Forth and beyond.

“To promote this, a joint smart travel campaign ’Fife in the fast lane’ is now underway, highlighting the difference that this - the first dedicated public transport corridor on a bridge in Scotland - plus smart ticketing can make for public transport journeys in and around the Fife area. And for those who like the active life, it’s great to see the cycling and walking route over this iconic bridge also officially opened today.

“As the Forth Replacement Crossing project winds down – with this news and motorway status on the new M90 across the stunning Queensferry Crossing bridge – we can start to see the full benefits of this once in a lifetime infrastructure project and the true value of such a significant piece of investment in the national infrastructure.”

Paul Thomas, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Scotland said:

"Our Express City Connect services crossing the Forth are such a key part of our network in East Scotland, connecting our customers in Fife, Dundee, Perthshire and beyond, to the capital as well as our regular journeys to Edinburgh Airport.  We're delighted to now see the full benefit of the Queensferry Crossing, in creating dedicated bus lanes on the Forth Road bridge, with the aim of reducing congestion for part of the route and improving journey times for public transport users. We are confident that the collaborative approach to a marketing campaign will raise awareness of the high quality public transport options in the area, the range of smart ticketing available and the level of convenience afforded by P&R sites and connectivity across modes. We'll continue to invest in our network of luxury coach services ensuring we can provide the best possible, sustainable travel option across the Forth."

Mark Powles, ScotRail Alliance commercial director, said:

“We’re building the best railway that Scotland’s ever had – and that applies to all of Scotland. Fife is a key part of our network, with direct services to six of Scotland’s seven cities and easy access to the rest of the country.

“To make travel even simpler, we’ve invested in our ScotRail Smartcard – which offers our best value fares, and no more queuing for tickets.”

 Amey’s Mark Arndt, Account Director for the Forth Bridges Operating Company, said:

“It’s a privilege for Amey to be responsible for operation of the Forth Bridges at the beginning of this exciting new era.

“Over the past few months we’ve been getting ahead with maintenance on the Forth Road Bridge. Now we’re looking forward to applying our resources and expertise to make a success of its new role as a public transport corridor. This and the new managed motorway over the Queensferry Crossing are truly innovative developments that will make a real difference to the reliability and sustainability of cross-Forth travel for years to come.”

John Lauder, National Director of Sustrans Scotland said:

"The re-opening of the Forth Road Bridge as a sustainable transport corridor is a hugely positive development that sets a precedent within Scotland and acts as an example to the rest of the UK. 

"It will benefit not just those commuters who choose to travel on foot or by bike, or those who choose sustainable modes of travel, but outside peak times, it will provide an attractive resource for walking and cycling, providing unparalleled views of the Scotland's magnificent new bridge.

“National Cycle Route 1, which is part of the North Sea Cycle Route, linking all the nations bordering the North Sea, has used the bridge for many years, the re-opening now improves the offer and also provides a nearly continuous off-road greenway route through From Fife to north Edinburgh and into Edinburgh City Centre.

To assist road users understanding of the new road and bridge layouts, as well as the features of the Queensferry Crossing, a guide has been recently published and is available here:  Road Users Guide

25,000 copies of the guide have been produced and have been distributed to stakeholders. The guide has also being sent for display at libraries, petrol stations, bus & train stations and tourist information offices and along the Forth corridor and across the east central Scotland region.

A guide to the active travel corridor is also available here: Walking & Cycling Guide

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Russia halts traffic over Crimea bridge after Ukrainian attack

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Christopher Miller in Kyiv and Max Seddon in Riga

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Moscow-installed authorities in Crimea have halted traffic on the bridge connecting the occupied peninsula to Russia after a Ukrainian attack that caused parts of it to collapse early on Monday, killing two people.

A Ukraine intelligence source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the SBU — the country’s security service — and its naval forces were behind the assault.

It is the second Ukrainian attack on the bridge — which carries road and rail traffic and was opened with great fanfare by Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2018 — dealing another humiliating blow to the Kremlin’s prestige, and possibly to its ability to supply troops occupying Ukraine’s southern regions.

Putin vowed to respond to the attack on the bridge and said the defence ministry was working on proposals for actions that Russia could take.

Viacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said a man and a woman from the region had been killed in the explosion. Their 14-year-old daughter was in hospital in a stable condition.

Artem Dekhtiarenko, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s SBU, said that details of the operation would only be revealed “after our victory”.

“Meanwhile, we are watching with interest as one of the symbols of Putin’s regime once again failed to withstand the military burden,” he added. 

Mash, an online news outlet with close ties to Russia’s police, posted videos showing that one span on the bridge had collapsed and another had begun to sink into the waters of the Kerch Strait below.

It said investigators had found traces from jet skis near the site of the explosion and claimed Ukraine had begun to use them as explosive-carrying underwater drones.

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The bridge was previously damaged in an attack in October last year that forced Russian authorities to close it temporarily for repairs. Ukraine did not immediately take credit for that strike, though last week deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar called it “the first blow on the Crimean bridge to break the logistics of the Russians”.

Russian authorities did not say how badly the bridge was damaged in Monday’s attack but claimed the railway tracks had not been harmed in the blast and promised traffic would soon resume. Marat Khusnullin, a deputy prime minister, said work had begun to repair damaged sections of the bridge. 

On the social media app Telegram, several videos appeared to show the blast before sunrise, while others showed smoke rising from the bridge, a crushed vehicle and cars backed up for kilometres.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, blamed Ukraine for the attack.

“We need to talk about this so everyone knows that this is the handiwork of the Kyiv regime,” Peskov told reporters. “We remain prepared to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.”

Ukrainian officials did not take responsibility publicly for the explosion. But several top officials and Ukraine’s security service gloated on social media, while Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reiterated Kyiv’s position that the bridge was a legitimate military target.

“Any illegal structures used to deliver Russian instruments of mass murder are necessarily shortlived . . . regardless of the reasons for the destruction,” Podolyak wrote on Twitter.

Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, declined to comment when asked by Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne if Kyiv was behind the attack. But he said it could hinder Russian logistics.

“Any logistical problems are additional complications for the occupiers, which create potential advantages for the Ukrainian defence forces,” Yusov said.

The bridge is a crucial link between Russia and the occupied Ukrainian territories and is used to transport troops, tanks and other military supplies for the Kremlin’s invasion forces fighting in southern Ukraine.

The only other supply route is via the so-called land bridge that Moscow created by invading and occupying the southern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Putin claimed to have “annexed” in September.

But that route is narrow and fraught with challenges, as Ukrainian brigades focus their attention on trying to cut off the land bridge in their counteroffensive.

Russian holidaymakers have continued to flock to Crimea, a popular vacation destination, even as the peninsula has become a target for air and drone strikes during the war.

Occupation authorities urged people to use the land bridge and insisted the peninsula had sufficient supplies of food and fuel.

The 12-mile bridge over the Kerch Strait was a special project of Putin’s. Built for $3bn after Russia’s illegal 2014 annexation of Crimea, it was completed in 2018, with Putin marking the occasion by driving a Kamaz truck over the bridge.

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International Edition

Losing a Bridge Upends Life in Baltimore (and It May Soon Get Worse)

Residents and business owners are bracing for more noise and pollution that truck traffic brings. Credit...

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By Peter Eavis

Photographs and Video by Alyssa Schukar

Reporting from Baltimore

• June 12, 2024

Frank’s Bay Tavern in the neighborhood of South Baltimore — house cocktail: the grain alcohol Bay Slinger — has been hit hard by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge .

Dockworkers who once stopped in for a beer after crossing the bridge are taking other routes home, said Karen Zapushek, who runs the bar with her husband, Frank. Customers are also staying away, she said, because many more trucks are barreling past the bar, making the street outside, with its narrow sidewalks, feel even more dangerous.

“We already had a problem with traffic in our community — and it’s just been really increased with the Key Bridge being down,” Ms. Zapushek said, adding that sales had plunged 40 percent since the bridge fell. “It’s really bad.”

Scores of businesses have suffered since the Dali container ship crashed into the bridge in late March, causing it to crumple into the Patapsco River. The accident severed the Baltimore Beltway, one of the city’s most important highways. Commutes and deliveries are taking much longer because vehicles that used the bridge are going through two highly congested tunnels in central Baltimore or taking other longer routes.

A commute from South Baltimore to Sparrows Point, a giant logistics hub where Amazon and FedEx have facilities, might have taken 15 minutes in the morning rush hour before the bridge fell. Now that trip is taking around an hour through one of the tunnels or on other routes that skirt the city center, residents said.

Traffic is likely to get worse as Baltimore’s port, much of which was idled by the accident, begins humming again. Large cargo vessels recently started making calls at the port after shipping channels were cleared. And truck traffic is expected to soon surge back. Many trucks will use the street where Ms. Zapushek’s bar sits or other local roads.

Residents and business owners are bracing for more noise and pollution from that traffic, undermining their efforts to improve safety in neighborhoods that have long grappled with crime and poverty.

“We’re anticipating that once the port is fully operational, there is going to be a tremendous amount of trucks coming through these neighborhoods,” said Meredith Chaiken, executive director of the Greater Baybrook Alliance, a community development group that works in South Baltimore.

Officials expect a replacement bridge to be finished in 2028. That is soon enough not to cause businesses to flee Baltimore, traffic experts say, but it will still take a toll.

Even before the Key Bridge collapsed, Baltimore suffered from road congestion — TomTom Traffic ranked the average travel time in its city center as the sixth worst in the country.

Many of the drivers who traversed the Key Bridge appear to be using three other main roads: Interstates 95 and 895 and the western part of the Baltimore Beltway. This has increased vehicle volumes on those roads by around 10 percent on average and made commutes about 20 to 35 minutes longer, according to state officials.

Fuel trucking is one of the businesses most affected by the Key Bridge collapse. Tanker trucks carrying petroleum products used the bridge because they are barred from the two tunnels.

Now they have to make much longer journeys — and many are going through Brooklyn, a neighborhood of South Baltimore where the median household income in one ZIP code is roughly half that of Maryland. Last month, a steady flow of these trucks made their way down South Hanover Street, a main drag where popular restaurants and salons sit alongside empty buildings.

The trucks are not the biggest concern of business owners on the street. When asked recently about the traffic, three assumed the question was about drug trafficking.

But Ms. Chaiken of the Greater Baybrook Alliance said heavy truck traffic could create the conditions for more illicit activities. On streets with lots of traffic, people don’t do things that make neighborhoods safer over time, like lingering outside to talk to neighbors or having meals outdoors, she said.

Ms. Chaiken would like to restrict trucks from South Hanover and put them on a parallel street with fewer small stores. Kelly Jones, a barber at Stylin’ Zone Barbershop & Salon, on South Hanover, said he supported the idea.

“It would be a lot safer because there’s a lot of people crossing the street back and forth right here on South Hanover,” he said.

Other neighborhoods, like Dundalk, which stretches from Baltimore’s eastern port facilities into Baltimore County, are also seeing more trucks.

“You can see how narrow that street is — we’ve seen trucks go there,” said Latasha Gresham-James, executive director of Dundalk Renaissance, a community group, pointing down an avenue lined with houses and neat lawns. The avenue is not a designated truck route. But because it is only a mile from I-95 and an industrial area, truck drivers may be using it by mistake.

Ms. Gresham-James said bigger, clearer signs were needed to guide truck drivers away from residential roads, especially now that the collapsed bridge has prompted them to look for new routes. Previous efforts to put in place such signs were insufficient, she added.

“I don’t want to waste this crisis,” Ms. Gresham-James said. “We can have things in place to make things better for residents, businesses, truckers and regular car drivers.”

Erica Palmisano, a spokeswoman for Johnny Olszewski, the Baltimore County executive, said the county was monitoring traffic as the port reopened and would “continue to collaborate with state, regional and community partners on assessing needs, identifying solutions and making adjustments as necessary.”

Louis Campion, the president of the Maryland Motor Truck Association, said his group had supported the development of truck maps and worked with local agencies on electronic enforcement measures to stop trucks from going down certain streets.

​Experts who study the link between traffic and economic development said they were not yet worried about the Baltimore situation.

Shocks like the collapse of the Key Bridge usually don’t cause permanent economic harm, they said. The collapse of a Minneapolis bridge in 2007, for example, appeared to have a minimal impact on the local economy.

Congestion is typical in and around cities, so a period of longer traffic delays is unlikely to drive away residents or investment. Travelers also find new routes, which eventually brings down travel times. And Baltimore and its port — the country’s dominant gateway for vehicle and large machinery shipments — play a crucial role in the U.S. economy.

“Losing infrastructure is not going to immediately doom the economy in Baltimore,” said Matthias Sweet, an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning.

For example, a spokesman for Amazon said the company was working with employees at its facilities in Sparrows Point, the logistics hub, whose commutes had been affected by the bridge collapse. It has changed schedules or allowed some workers to transfer to another site.

Much depends on how quickly the Key Bridge is rebuilt, Mr. Sweet said. “If people believe that it will competently be replaced soon,” he added, “I could imagine a reduced potential for firms and individuals to relocate out of Baltimore.”

Peter Eavis reports on the business of moving stuff around the world. More about Peter Eavis

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War in Ukraine:

Putin’s Hybrid War Opens a Second Front on NATO’s Eastern Border

Destabilizing operations have intensified across the Baltic Sea region. However much they prepare, governments concede they remain one step behind. 

The Russia-Estonia frontier at Narva has long been a flashpoint for tensions.

Shortly after midnight, several masked men in boats began removing orange navigational aids on the Narva River that separates Estonia from Russia — a watercourse which demarcates the extent of NATO’s reach.

Even that late in the day it’s twilight in northern Europe at the end of May, leaving the Russian border guards who were working to lift the markers clearly visible to the watching Estonian authorities.