Contractors sought for Forth Road Bridge expansion joints replacement

Forth Road Bridge newTransport Scotland is advertising for a suitable contractor to take on a £9 million programme of works to replace the expansion joints on the Forth Road Bridge.

The contract is due to be awarded in autumn 2017, with a start on site in spring 2018 for eight months.

The Forth Road Bridge opened across the Firth of Forth in 1964, carrying the A90 between Fife and Lothian. The bridge consists of two approach viaducts and a suspension bridge. The main span is 1km long and the side spans are each 408 metres. The deck is an open steel truss with an orthotropic stiffened plate on the main span and reinforced concrete slabs on the side spans. The truss is supported by two aerially spun cables each of approximately 590mm diameter.

The main expansion joints are at the north and south main towers. They are the roller shutter or rolling leaf type and were developed, fabricated and installed by Demag of Germany. These joints are believed to be the largest and oldest of their type in existence. The replacement joints will be a modified version of the same type of joint.



The contract involves:

  • replacement of the carriageway expansion joints at the north and south main towers.
  • replacement of the carriageway expansion joints on the north and south approach viaducts


  • replacement of the carriageway nosing joints at the north and south side towers
  • replacement of the footway/cycleway joints at the north and south main towers
  • replacement of the footway/cycleway joints at the north and south approach viaducts.


  • Further details are at Public Contracts Scotland.


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