# Forth road bridge



## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Its a bit breezy up here in the north of England at the moment.
We are planning to cross the Forth Road bridge next week. 
Does anyone know if they still charge a toll for crossing and is it ok in the wind?




And where can I buy mansize pampers?!!


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## RichardnGill (Aug 31, 2006)

No Toll on it now


Richard...


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

If the wind was considered too high they would close it to high sided vehicles.


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## StAubyns (Jun 4, 2006)

Its a bumpy ride, you feel every joint! Its the worst bridge I've ever been over  

Geoff


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2008)

Am I correct in thinking that it is a failing structure? Seem to remember reading somewhere that the cables are corroding. The Victorian example seems to be putting it to shame.

Tco


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

Failing - typical English design!!
Name and shame -

Mott, Hay and Anderson, in association with Freeman, Fox and Partners.

Tower bridge still going strong, engineers:- Sir William Arrol & Co, Glasgow.

:lol:


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

tco said:


> Am I correct in thinking that it is a failing structure?


Ahem. Slightly alarmist, if I may say so. :roll: Some long-term remedial work is being done to counter excessive humidity to the enclosed sections of the wire suspenders.  Nothing worse, eh.

Dougie.


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

asprn said:


> Ahem. Slightly alarmist, if I may say so. :roll: Some long-term remedial work is being done to counter excessive humidity to the enclosed sections of the wire suspenders.  Nothing worse, eh. Dougie.


Thanks Dougie .............. we are due to cross the Forth Road Bridge today so your post has put my mind at rest! What would I do without you to calm my jangling nerves LOL! 

As we are on the subject of design etc etc I must say that during our visit into Edinburgh city centre yesterday (what a fascinating place) I was so disappointed with the Scottish Parliament building, situated at the bottom of the Royal mile ........ what a flipping modern monstrosity that turned out to be and who the heck designed it? Apparently it was expected to cost £50m (which was bad enough) but ended up costing £414m! I could not believe that in a city strewn with such splendid architectural delight and charm they stuck this ugly building!

I don't know what others who have visited Edinburgh think to it but for me personally, I think it just looks so out of character with the area and was a total waste of money and the person/persons who designed it need shooting! ROFL :twisted:

(Before anyone jumps on my suggestion of such a blood and gore punishment for the designer - this was said in a jocular vein and was purely meant to be a humorous tongue in cheek remark ......... I promise you!) :wink:

Sue


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

Anecdotally, Several of the wire cores have now snapped. There was a short bit about this on the news up here recently. The main cables have been equiped with transducers which can listen for any "noises" within. The bloke played back a short sound clip of a quiet metallic twang, which was one of several wires that have let go in recent years. The expansion joints also have to cope with lateral movement of the road deck during high winds. This movement in sustained 100 mph winds can be up to..........23 feet 8O according to the engineer.

Do RV's float :lol: 

D.


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi the main support cables have now lost 10% of their strength, and weight restrictions may have to be imposed by 2017, see here:
http://www.nce.co.uk/news/2008/06/corrosion_reduces_strength_of_forth_road_bridge_cables_by_10.html

Olley


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

davesport said:


> Anecdotally, Several of the wire cores have now snapped. There was a short bit about this on the news up here recently. The main cables have been equiped with transducers which can listen for any "noises" within. The bloke played back a short sound clip of a quiet metallic twang, which was one of several wires that have let go in recent years. The expansion joints also have to cope with lateral movement of the road deck during high winds. This movement in sustained 100 mph winds can be up to..........23 feet 8O according to the engineer.
> 
> Do RV's float :lol:
> 
> D.


*GULP! 8O Dougie where are you??? HELP!*


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## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

Hi

I used to be based at Rosyth on the diving unit and served on some of the minehunters there. I was on a Ton class minehunter which had wooden decks. Local kids used to drop things off the bridge when we sailed under it. One day we had a 2p coin stuck in the wooden deck which we left as a reminder to stay undercover.

When I was one the diving team we were tasked to a German mine which was found near the bridge, for some reason they wouldnt let us blow it up where it was :lol: . We had to tow it out into the Firth of Forth to blow it up. I can fully recomend the view from the top of the rail bridge and a visit to the sealife centre in North Queensferry (at north end of the bridge)

Andy


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Sonesta said:


> *GULP! 8O Dougie where are you??? HELP!*


See that wee red boat about half a mile away, near Cramond Island? That's me, with the camera. 

Dougie.


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## aultymer (Jun 20, 2006)

> I don't know what others who have visited Edinburgh think to it but for me personally, I think it just looks so out of character with the area and was a total waste of money and the person/persons who designed it need shooting! ROFL Twisted Evil


Too late Sonesta, Enric Miralles, (one of the world's premier architects, developed a design that he said was a building "growing out of the land". according to official blurb), died before the building was completed. 
Why we had to go to Spain for an architect we will never know.


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## asprn (Feb 10, 2006)

Sonesta said:


> what a flipping modern monstrosity that turned out to be.... it just looks so out of character with the area


My heart and soul have never left Edinburgh, despite being away now for 25 years, and I love every aspect of this special city.

Apart that is from the hideous moneypit to which you refer.

Anyway, why do you think I have a Saltire on the left? :roll: 

Dougie.


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Sonesta said:


> the Scottish Parliament building . . . what a flipping modern monstrosity . . .Apparently it was expected to cost £50m (which was bad enough) but ended up costing £414m . . .
> Sue


Of course it cost nearly 10 times the original estimate ! would you let the poor SMP's not have the same 'nose in the trough' benefits as our own MP's [of all flavours] ?


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

asprn said:


> Sonesta said:
> 
> 
> > what a flipping modern monstrosity that turned out to be.... it just looks so out of character with the area
> ...


Oops .......I never noticed your flag flapping in the wind Dougie but if I had I would still have not clicked I don't think LOL I would have just assumed you were a supporter of some Scottish football or rugby team or something! I dunno I bet you think I am one dense female ROFL! :lol:

I can understand your heart being left behind in Edinburgh as it really is a beautiful city and I very much enjoyed our whistlestop visit. Today on the way to Loch Lomond we decided to visit the Royal Yacht Brittania and it was a fantastic experience. It was thrilling to see all the rooms where apart from the Royal family, so many other famous names in history have stayed and I was quite enthralled by it all. I found it quite sad to see the bedroom where Lady Dianna and Prince Charles spent their honeymoon and to see the double bed that Prince Charles had arranged especially to be brought on board for their honeymoon, apparantley this is the only double bed on the Royal yacht and every other bedroom has single beds! Even the Queen and Prince Phillip had single beds along with seperate bedrooms but they did have interconnecting doors for those nights they probably felt like a little "chat!" :lol: It was quite eerie looking at the bedroom that Prince Charles and Dianna spent their honeymoon as I guess Lady Dianna was probably really happy at that time and looking forward to the future with her new husband. As I stood looking into this room I came over all goosebumpy knowing that a few years later her marriage to Prince Charles would end so bitterly as well as her life cut short so tragically and this made looking into the bedroom that they shared at such an important time in her life quite an emotional moment for me.

I am not a huge supporter of the royal family or anything like that but I do find certain aspects of their lives quite interesting and our visit to the Royal Yacht Brittania was quite fascinating to say the least.

My husband really enjoyed looking around this magnificent yacht too and I think he was particularly impressed with the engine room and the fact that this yacht has been so well looked after and for a Yacht that was built in the 1950's it is in an amazing condition and everything has been kept just as it was.

All in all a visit to the Royal Yacht Brittania is a great way to spend 2 or 3 hours and there is something there to suit both men and women alike and I would highly recommend this attraction to anyone visiting Edinburgh.

Sue


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## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

Sonesta

Did you find the golden rivet down the engine room when you visited the Royal Yacht :lol: 

Andy


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