Queensferry Crossing | Andrews Sykes Blog

Queensferry Crossing opens almost six years to the day that construction began

Posted Date 30/08/2017

This week, the UK’s tallest bridge finally opens to public traffic more than 2,000 days after the first brick was laid back in September 2011. The new Queensferry Crossing will replace the Forth Road Bridge as the primary road link between Edinburgh and Fife, with approximately 500,000 vehicles due to cross each week.

More than £1.35billion has been spent on the project, which has been described as “one of the worlds’ great bridges” by lead engineer Michael Martin.

Sykes Pumps were heavily involved in the early stages of construction, providing dozens of pumps to ensure that barges carrying bridge sections were suitably balanced via ballasting. Steel sections were then loaded onto the boat two at a time, with 122 separate components required in total.

Sykes Pumps assist with Scotland’s largest infrastructure project for a generation

Posted Date 21/09/2015

With the Queensferry Crossing set to be open for use in 2016, there is great pressure on contractors involved in the project to have it completed on schedule. The development is expected to cost the Scottish Government around £1.4 billion once finished, with the primary purpose of reducing traffic flow on the adjacent Forth Bridge.

A series of pumps were, therefore, required to help ballast a barge by driving water in and out of various compartments. This process is essential for keeping the boat stable while engineered components are transported onto it.