Progress is continuing on the Queensferry Crossing, it has been announced.

Providing an update on the ambitious project, Transport Scotland said the 6,000-tonne steel viaduct deck of the bridge had now reached almost 200 metres since December 2013.

The deck is transported to the site by road in 33 metre segments, each weighing 72 tonnes. Each section is then fabricated on site into one longer section of 543 metres.

The first push took place in mid-December 2013, and the most recent launch sees the viaduct travel 126 metres over two piers, the longest single push in the operation. The south viaduct will carry traffic to and from the south approach roads onto the main crossing.

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Visiting the Forth Replacement Crossing (FRC) site, Transport Minister Keith Brown said: "This is remarkable progress and the vast scale of the operation is even more spectacular when you are lucky enough to view it up close.

"In just three months since the first 'push launch', the viaduct has been assembled here near South Queensferry and pulled out across the first two piers of the bridge, a total of 196 metres.

"It is a great credit to our contractors FCBC and 100 strong team from working on the viaduct to have taken such great strides in such a short space of time.

"In the months ahead the public really will start to notice the Queensferry Crossing taking shape."

(JP/MH)