Amey LG Ltd has been unveiled as the company who will be responsible for managing and maintaining two major road bridges in Scotland.

The contract is for the Forth Road Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing.

It is thought the contract will be signed within the next couple of weeks, and will come into operation from 1 June 2015.

The Forth Bridges contract will run for five years, with the possibility of extending up to a maximum of 10 years.

The decision to appoint just one operating company is the most cost effective and efficient means to carry out the work required, Derek Mackay, Minister for Transport and Islands, explained.

-- Advertisement --

Under the agreement, Amey will be responsible for the Forth Road Bridge in the first instance, and then the Queensferry Crossing when it opens in 2016.

Mr Mackay said: "The Trunk Road network is essential for people to commute, and for goods and services to be delivered across Scotland, and there will be few more visible examples of these connections than the bridges across the Forth Estuary, which will unite North East Scotland, Fife, the Lothians and the Central Belt."

He added: "Amey's own strong commitment to engineering skills, staff training, and employee retention, all part of its integrated business model, was identified as significant during the tender process.

"I also wish to pay tribute to the efforts of those current and former staff who have worked on the Bridge, either as part of FETA or its predecessor, the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board over the last fifty years.

"It is important that the skills and experience of current staff are retained to help secure this next phase of the life of the Forth Road Bridge, and also that Amey is able to utilise those skills when the Queensferry Crossing becomes operational, ensuring no diminution in the level of service currently provided by FETA."

(JP/CD)