WHY DO WE OPPOSE A NEW BRIDGE?
The
Scottish Government has confirmed plans to build a Second Forth Road Bridge, despite widespread concern from environment and transport
campaigns and The City of Edinburgh Council.
A new bridge would cost up to £2,300 million. It would starve
investment into sustainable alternatives, and plunge Scotland into greater
oil dependency and higher climate emissions.
The Government argues that it cannot take the risk that the Forth Road
Bridge might have to close for HGV traffic by 2011, but studies commissioned
by bridge managers indicate that the government’s fears are not
well founded. Wth the cost of a bridge multiplying steadily, we feel that
the public is being fooled into support for a bridge when the case for
it has not been made.
WHAT IS THE FORTHRIGHT ALLIANCE?
The ForthRight Alliance (FRA) is a coalition of groups
opposed to the construction of a Second Forth Road Bridge. FRA believes
that a new road bridge is both unwelcome and unnecessary, as
a series of reports have indicated that the problems with the Forth Road
Bridge can be addressed without building a second bridge. The
FRA takes the view that Scottish Ministers should concentrate on repairing
the existing bridge rather than spending as much as £2.3 billion
on a new crossing.
KNOW THE FACTS
ForthRight Alliance evidence to TICC Committee on the Forth Crossing Bill (18th February 2010) [PDF 197 KB].
ForthRight Alliance objection to the Forth Crossing Bill (25th January 2010) [PDF 229 KB].
Repair the Forth Road Bridge – and Save Scotland £2,000 million, ForthRight Alliance news release, 17 November 2009
'Scottish Government debate on Forth Replacement Crossing - Parliamentary Briefing' (15th January 2009) [PDF 128 KB].
'ForthRight Alliance response to the Strategic Transport Projects Review' (15th December 2008) [PDF 136 KB].
Download the ForthRight Alliance's new briefing
'Repair the Forth Road Bridge - and save Scotland £4,000 million' (December 2008) [PDF 148 KB].
The Minister for Finance and Sustainable Development, John
Swinney, explained his decision to build a new bridge in evidence to the
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee on 15 January.
Friends of the Earth Scotland prepared this briefing for members of the
committee:
'Forth Road Bridge: Can we fix it?
Yes we can!' (January 2008) [PDF 196 KB].
In March 2007 the previous administration announced its
intention to build a new crossing. In advance of the announcement, ForthRight
Alliance published this briefing to inform the debate:
'The Case Against
a Second Forth Road Bridge' (February 2007) [PDF 112 KB].
HELP THE CAMPAIGN
To support the campaign against a Second Forth Road Bridge and to deliver sustainable alternatives then please Take Action.
The Forthright Alliance is an umbrella group of national and local heritage, wildlife, environment and sustainable transport groups.