The 1.7 miles (2.7km) crossing over the River Forth, which was delivered almost £250 million under budget, welcomed a procession of vehicles ahead of a handover ceremony last night as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon switched on the lights and a projection was beamed over the entire bridge.

The crossing has been a catalyst for employment and business opportunities since work began. Over 15,000 people have been inducted to work on the construction site since 2011, clocking up over 18 million hours of work in the process. Thousands more have been indirectly employed and have benefited through the project’s supply chain. Scottish firms have been awarded sub-contracts or supply orders on the project with a total value of over £350m.

But the project hasn’t been without its challenges, with unfavourable weather impacting on delivery dates. Despite those hurdles, those behind the project have maintained a focus on delivery throughout, highlighting that the overrun has amounted to 10 weeks over a 6-year project in relation to the project completion date. They argue that safety has been paramount throughout the construction of this structure which will last for well over 100 years with generations to come benefitting from this work.

Economy secretary Keith Brown, said the revised completion date will have no impact on the overall budget as the contractor is responsible for all costs associated with the over-run.

He added: “It will be with a real sense of pride that all those involved with this project will witness traffic crossing the bridge this week. To think that the crossing has been completed six years from the date construction started and ten years since Parliament approved legislation is a remarkable achievement for a project of this scale and complexity. The challenges of this location have been well-documented and the real heroes are those who have braved the elements in sometimes horrendous conditions to finish the job.

“This project has released £245m of savings back into the Scottish Budget since construction began. Quite often we see and hear of projects running significantly over budget, so I believe we should be proud of this achievement and take confidence going forward. Of course these savings are in addition to those achieved during contract procurement which reduced the forecast by £512m from the outset. I am looking forward to seeing all of the hard work and investment pay off and to unlocking the benefits that this magnificent new piece of infrastructure will deliver to local communities and to Scotland as a whole.”

Project director David Climie said: “I’ve worked on projects across the globe and I can safely say that this has been one of the most challenging but also the most rewarding. It’s been a real roller coaster of emotions but the over-riding emotion at the moment is one of pride. Until you’ve actually been out on the bridge during severe winds it’s hard to appreciate the task at hand of delivering such a complex project. Experts from across the globe have marvelled at this achievement and so it’s nice to think there will be some recognition at home for the workforce this week too.”

Related: And finally… Remarkably similar plans to Queensferry Crossing unearthed after 200 years

SCDI chief executive, Mark Bevan, added: “The Queensferry Crossing is a key addition to Scotland’s transport infrastructure which will safeguard and strengthen Scotland’s economic prosperity. The problems experienced with the existing bridge have highlighted why this new infrastructure was necessary to provide resilient connectivity for people and goods on this major artery of our economy. SCDI strongly supported the building of a new crossing and will continue to engage with our members on the future mobility needs of the Scottish economy.

“Everyone involved in the opening of this majestic addition to the bridges over the Forth should be proud of their achievement, and SCDI is sure that it will continue to be inspirational for those who use and visit it, especially those who would like to develop the skills to meet our next infrastructure challenges.”

Opening the Queensferry Crossing

Wednesday 30 August

In the early hours of the morning, the Queensferry Crossing will fully open to traffic in both directions.

Police will put in a place a rolling roadblock to stop traffic driving across the Forth Road Bridge and will redirect them across the Queensferry Crossing.

The northbound carriageway will be opened first. The southbound carriageway will be opened about 45 minutes later.

The bridge will be fully open to traffic for the rest of the day and the following day.

Friday 1 September

Early in the morning, the Queensferry Crossing will close to all traffic.

Police will redirect all vehicles back across the Forth Road Bridge.

It will remain closed until the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September

About 50,000 members of the public, who were given tickets after a ballot, will get a “once in a lifetime” chance to walk over the new bridge on Saturday and Sunday.

Monday 4 September

The Queen will officially open the Queensferry Crossing. She will be joined by the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland will bless the bridge, and the Queen will cut a ribbon on the south side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGd1ZzvePzQ

Tuesday 5 September

A chance for a further 10,000 local people and school children to walk the bridge.

Thursday 7 September

The bridge will re-open to traffic, with no pedestrian access.

The initial speed limit will be 40mph but after work has been completed to adapt the Forth Road Bridge public transport will be switched back to the old bridge and the Queensferry Crossing will become a 70 mph motorway.

All images have been reproduced courtesy of Transport Scotland