# Scotland- Forth Road Bridge closed until New Year!



## jamielaing (Dec 4, 2015)

For all the Scottish guys on here, the Forth Road Bridge is closed until New Year- 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35001277

This is going to cause a nightmare to so many people.


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## Beezerk (Dec 4, 2015)

Bloody hell, they said on the radio this morning it would only be for 24 hours.
Glad I don't have a job lined up that way before xmas, would have been a mare.


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## patricks148 (Dec 4, 2015)

Was down in Edinburgh on Wednesday night. came over the bridge at about 8PM  pretty quite. coming back yesterday, went via Stirling miles quicker than the bridge.


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## jdpjamesp (Dec 4, 2015)

Beezerk said:



			Bloody hell, they said on the radio this morning it would only be for 24 hours.
Glad I don't have a job lined up that way before xmas, would have been a mare.
		
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Yeah the plan was for 24h I believe, but they found some structural damage that needs fixing. 
Thankfully for me the only time I need to go that way is when we go to Dundee, and going via Perth is much quicker anyway.


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## Beezerk (Dec 4, 2015)

Hobbit will struggle towing his gypsy caravan to Aberdeen no doubt.


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## GreiginFife (Dec 4, 2015)

This causes me considerable inconvenience and I work in Glasgow and dont go near the bridge. 
A journey that takes me 15 minutes normally took 2 hours this morning due to re-routing through villages not equipped to handle volumes of traffic that high. 
Also doesnt help with people driving like idiots as there were 5 separate accidents this morning alone.
Chaos for the foreseeable.


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## FairwayDodger (Dec 4, 2015)

This is an absolute nightmare - an essential part of the country's road network. 

I'm just glad I don't live in Fife with a regular commute into Edinburgh but that's any notion of a trip north off the agenda for the foreseeable future.


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## Liverpoolphil (Dec 4, 2015)

Blimey that's not good - 50 miles of diversions

Seems it's the sensible move though


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## Hacker Khan (Dec 4, 2015)

Pah, in China they would have had a new bridge built in 3 weeks.....


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## bluewolf (Dec 4, 2015)

Hacker Khan said:



			Pah, in China they would have had a new bridge built in 3 weeks.....
		
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Yeah, but you'd want another bridge an hour later.


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## FairwayDodger (Dec 4, 2015)

Hacker Khan said:



			Pah, in China they would have had a new bridge built in 3 weeks.....
		
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I think it's 2017 the new bridge will be ready!


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## GreiginFife (Dec 4, 2015)

FairwayDodger said:



			I think it's 2017 the new bridge will be ready!
		
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December 2016 allegedly. On target and underbudget we keep getting told...
I think closing the bridge is sensible, not having indicated diversions in place beforehand that make sense and avoid bottlenecks (they do exist) is not sensible.


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## FairwayDodger (Dec 4, 2015)

GreiginFife said:



			December 2016 allegedly. On target and underbudget we keep getting told...
I think closing the bridge is sensible, not having indicated diversions in place beforehand that make sense and avoid bottlenecks (they do exist) is not sensible.
		
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I just hope the problem is fixable. The length of the closure seems very open-ended!


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## stevek1969 (Dec 4, 2015)

Thru there on Tuesday to get the wives car serviced think i will pass on that till next year,can't be bothered with the traffic


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## Hobbit (Dec 4, 2015)

Beezerk said:



			Hobbit will struggle towing his gypsy caravan to Aberdeen no doubt.
		
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Do you want your drive doing Mr?

We had fun coming back down on Wednesday, came back via Stirling and the A69. I'm back up Monday. And I hope it is finished by the 30th, when we travel up there with our worldly possessions.


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## Hobbit (Dec 4, 2015)

Hacker Khan said:



			Pah, in China they would have had a new bridge built in 3 weeks.....
		
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We don't have enough bamboo


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## CliveW (Dec 4, 2015)

I had to take my son to Edinburgh Airport on Wednesday morning and luckily heard about the contraflow the night before, but it wasn't well publicised. I decided to go the long way round via Stirling and even that took over 2 hours. Luckily he made the flight and his connection to Vancouver.
Travelling round the Edinburgh City Bypass later in the afternoon and knowing about the contraflow, my TomTom showed delays of 20 minutes on that route. I decided to give it a go, after all 20 mins in traffic is less than the time it would take to drive back round by Stirling. Two hours later, I finally reached the bridge having hit the queue just after the last turn off before the bridge.
I have a game of golf arranged at Longniddry on Sunday and I'm in two minds whether or not to go.


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## CliveW (Dec 4, 2015)

jdpjamesp said:



			Yeah the plan was for 24h I believe, but they found some structural damage that needs fixing. 
Thankfully for me the only time I need to go that way is when we go to Dundee, and going via Perth is much quicker anyway.
		
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I'm slightly confused. From the south, the quickest way to get to Perth or Dundee is to cross the FRB.


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## ger147 (Dec 4, 2015)

CliveW said:



			I'm slightly confused. From the south, the quickest way to get to Perth or Dundee is to cross the FRB.
		
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That depends whereabouts in the south you are. For me in the west, straight up the M9/A9 past Stirling is shorter and quicker if heading for Perth.


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## CliveW (Dec 4, 2015)

ger147 said:



			That depends whereabouts in the south you are. For me in the west, straight up the M9/A9 past Stirling is shorter and quicker if heading for Perth.
		
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Still quicker to get to Dundee via Perth though.


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## ger147 (Dec 4, 2015)

CliveW said:



			Still quicker to get to Dundee via Perth though.
		
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And the quickest way for me to get to Perth is via the M/A9, so if going to Dundee the quickest way for me is M/A9 past Stirling, not the FRB.


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## Tashyboy (Dec 4, 2015)

Whatsup has the paint fell off ?


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 4, 2015)

Tashyboy said:



			Whatsup has the paint fell off ?
		
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Probably the weight of all those layers of paint has cracked the bridge. Hope it gets fixed as it' an iconic sight to see


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## ger147 (Dec 4, 2015)

HomerJSimpson said:



			Probably the weight of all those layers of paint has cracked the bridge. Hope it gets fixed as it' an iconic sight to see
		
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It's the road bridge that's closed, no paint on that one. The proper Forth Bridge is still open.


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## HomerJSimpson (Dec 4, 2015)

ger147 said:



			It's the road bridge that's closed, no paint on that one. The proper Forth Bridge is still open.
		
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And they don't paint that? Every day a school day


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## SammmeBee (Dec 4, 2015)

Third World problems......


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## williamalex1 (Dec 4, 2015)

SammmeBee said:



			Third World problems......
		
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Que for a song, London bridge is falling down, just change a few lyrics.:rofl:


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## Doon frae Troon (Dec 4, 2015)

Forth [Rail] Bridge........... Opened 1890 still going strong.
Forth Road Bridge.....Opened 1960's falling to bits.

The excuse being that it is taking ten times the traffic it was designed for.


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## GreiginFife (Dec 4, 2015)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Forth [Rail] Bridge........... Opened 1890 still going strong.
Forth Road Bridge.....Opened 1960's falling to bits.

The excuse being that it is taking ten times the traffic it was designed for.
		
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Are you saying that it's not taking 10 times the traffic?
You are also comparing two totally different engineering designs that have totally different stress characteristics. And the rail bridge is only going strong because of the maintenance programme that is undertaken on it. Far more than is afforded the road bridge despite the differences in traffic.


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## ColchesterFC (Dec 4, 2015)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Forth [Rail] Bridge........... Opened 1890 still going strong.
Forth Road Bridge.....Opened 1960's falling to bits.

The excuse being that it is taking ten times the traffic it was designed for.
		
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Can anyone explain why delays were being reported on trains between Newcastle and Dundee due to the closure of the Forth ROAD Bridge?


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## GreiginFife (Dec 4, 2015)

ColchesterFC said:



			Can anyone explain why delays were being reported on trains between Newcastle and Dundee due to the closure of the Forth ROAD Bridge?
		
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Probably due to overcrowding issues on services that are running causing delays. My brother in law travels Haymarket to Dalgety Bay and he said the 1715 service was dangerously overcrowded and spent approx 10 mins at South Gyle alone letting people off and on.
The importance of the road bridge as the main arterial route South in to Lothian should not be underestimated and also the reach of the effects.


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## CliveW (Dec 4, 2015)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Forth [Rail] Bridge........... Opened 1890 still going strong.
Forth Road Bridge.....Opened 1960's falling to bits.

The excuse being that it is taking ten times the traffic it was designed for.
		
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The construction of the Forth Bridge was started in 1882, three years after the Tay Bridge disaster, and was grossly over engineered because of this.


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## Fish (Dec 5, 2015)

Doon frae Troon said:



			Forth [Rail] Bridge........... Opened 1890 still going strong.
Forth Road Bridge.....Opened 1960's falling to bits.

*The excuse being that it is taking ten times the traffic it was designed for.*

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That's all those pesky migrants we keep sending you :smirk:


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## chippa1909 (Dec 5, 2015)

Fish said:



			That's all those pesky migrants we keep sending you :smirk:
		
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Aye, all the thousands of English economic migrants after free prescriptions.

:smirk:


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## Fish (Dec 5, 2015)

chippa1909 said:



			Aye, all the thousands of English economic migrants after free prescriptions.

:smirk:
		
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Well they need to be free up there, reading what most of you lot post sickness must be rife &#128514;&#128514;&#128514;


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## Hobbit (Dec 5, 2015)

Fish said:



			That's all those pesky migrants we keep sending you :smirk:
		
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chippa1909 said:



			Aye, all the thousands of English economic migrants after free prescriptions.

:smirk:
		
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30 days till Hobbit arrives...


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## Mattyboy (Dec 6, 2015)

Don't know what the fuss is about. You've got at least three other bridges.....


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## Liverpoolphil (Dec 6, 2015)

Have Wings blamed Westminster yet ?


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## Doon frae Troon (Dec 6, 2015)

Mattyboy said:



			Don't know what the fuss is about. You've got at least three other bridges.....

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Aye..... and all toll free :lol:


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## Doon frae Troon (Dec 6, 2015)

Fish said:



			That's all those pesky migrants we keep sending you :smirk:
		
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Can't be them they are all on Bute, and the berry picking/caddy season dose not start until March.


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## AMcC (Dec 6, 2015)

After taking some abuse from the inhabitants of Edinburgh the Fifers got their own back by reminding them that the Amazon warehouse was on the Fife side of the bridge :rofl:


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## GreiginFife (Dec 6, 2015)

Tomorrow morning will be interesting. Stagecoach have kindly put on an additional 33 busses.... and will be running them all through Kincardine. An already heavily congested route that had 11 mile tailbacks on Friday...now 33 additional busses to add to it. I applaud the genius.


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## Doon frae Troon (Dec 7, 2015)

GreiginFife said:



			Tomorrow morning will be interesting. Stagecoach have kindly put on an additional 33 busses.... and will be running them all through Kincardine. An already heavily congested route that had 11 mile tailbacks on Friday...now 33 additional busses to add to it. I applaud the genius.
		
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Hovercrafts into Leith?


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## Jimaroid (Dec 7, 2015)

Slow hand-clap of the day award goes to Traffic Scotland for Tweeting this image without saying what any of the colours mean. https://twitter.com/trafficscotland/status/673764386796883968


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## Spuddy (Dec 7, 2015)

Jimaroid said:



			Slow hand-clap of the day award goes to Traffic Scotland for Tweeting this image without saying what any of the colours mean. https://twitter.com/trafficscotland/status/673764386796883968

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The link in the tweet has all the details regarding who can use which routes


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## tugglesf239 (Dec 7, 2015)

bluewolf said:



			Yeah, but you'd want another bridge an hour later.
		
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Made me chuckle that.


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## GreiginFife (Dec 7, 2015)

The whole situation is a farce. The main A route has been closed to cars and vans and reserved for busses and HGVs leaving the much heavier car and van traffic to be routed along B and C roads and villages that cant cope. 
I managed 3 miles of my 17 mile journey in 94 minutes before giving up and turning back. 
Traffic Scotland and the local authorities have made a complete [expletive deleted] of this.
All done in the name of making it easier to get to Edinburgh with no thought to those that dont work anywhere near Edinburgh and these roads are thier usual route. 
The luntics have most definitely taken over the asylum.


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## FairwayDodger (Dec 7, 2015)

Speculation today that the official timescale for fixing the bridge is a tad unrealistic and even that it might NEVER reopen to HGVs.

All in all, not good!


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## GreiginFife (Dec 7, 2015)

FairwayDodger said:



			Speculation today that the official timescale for fixing the bridge is a tad unrealistic and even that it might NEVER reopen to HGVs.

All in all, not good!
		
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A story that seems to have eminated from that bastian of reliable reporting, The Daily Record. The days of the bridge carrying the loads it has have been numbered for a while, hence the second crossing being built. 
To be honest, getting cars, vans and to an extent, busses back using the bridge while re-routing HGVs only would massively inprove the situ. Ok so thats a few weeks off as it stands. The bridge can be fixed, if they can weld Oil Platform support beams back together under the sea at extremes of temperature and pressure then I am sure its not beyond the means of smart people to fix a cracked (but metal) bridge truss end connections. 
The weather is the biggest obstacle at present I understand.


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## FairwayDodger (Dec 7, 2015)

Meanwhile traffic at the Gyle in Edinburgh seems much better than usual..... Winners and losers..... No need to rush the bridge repair!


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## GreiginFife (Dec 7, 2015)

FairwayDodger said:



			Meanwhile traffic at the Gyle in Edinburgh seems much better than usual..... Winners and losers..... No need to rush the bridge repair!



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I used to like you...:angry:


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## Hobbit (Dec 7, 2015)

Travelling up from the northeast tomorrow. Will go across to the M74, up towards G'gow, then across past Stirling and onto Aberdeen.... sound about right??


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## ger147 (Dec 7, 2015)

Hobbit said:



			Travelling up from the northeast tomorrow. Will go across to the M74, up towards G'gow, then across past Stirling and onto Aberdeen.... sound about right??
		
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Yep, steer well clear of anywhere east of Stirling.


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## IanG (Dec 7, 2015)

FairwayDodger said:



			Meanwhile traffic at the Gyle in Edinburgh seems much better than usual..... Winners and losers..... No need to rush the bridge repair!



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Aha yes traffic on the bypass both this morning and this evening was noticeably lighter than the usual Monday jam. Never twigged until you mentioned it why!


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## Doon frae Troon (Dec 8, 2015)

Hobbit said:



			Travelling up from the northeast tomorrow. Will go across to the M74, up towards G'gow, then across past Stirling and onto Aberdeen.... sound about right??
		
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Best way to go.
Welcome to Scotland and good luck.
One thing for sure is that you will enjoy driving up here.


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## Jimaroid (Dec 8, 2015)

Doon frae Troon said:



			One thing for sure is that you will enjoy driving up here.
		
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In Aberdeen he won't.


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## patricks148 (Dec 8, 2015)

Jimaroid said:



			In Aberdeen he won't.
		
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LOL:thup:


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## Hobbit (Dec 8, 2015)

Jimaroid said:



			In Aberdeen he won't.
		
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Only 50mins to do 6 miles from the office to hotel. The beer is meh! Going to try The Grill Bar


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## FairwayDodger (Dec 8, 2015)

Hobbit said:



			Only 50mins to do 6 miles from the office to hotel. The beer is meh! Going to try The Grill Bar
		
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Aberdeen traffic must be lighter than usual....


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## Liverpoolphil (Dec 9, 2015)

:rofl:


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## Duckster (Dec 9, 2015)

Liverpoolphil said:



View attachment 17848


:rofl:
		
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Is that an African or European swallow?


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 9, 2015)

It's a cracking bridge mind!


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## Slab (Dec 10, 2015)

Saw this online... Fife to Edinburgh alternate route 

_â€œThis diversion for cars and light vehicles travelling between Fife and Edinburgh has been prepared to minimise the disruption to people and businesses across the east of Scotland during the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

â€œFrom the M90 south take the A823 before Rosyth and follow Queensferry Road to Dunfermline town centre. Follow diversion signs to the A907 and take the B913 at Gowkhall to the B914 at Saline and take Bridge Street north.

â€œThen take the B906 to the B907 to the B654 to B7077, and follow the signs to the C3P0 and on to the R2D2. About 3 miles further on youâ€™ll come to a road block, ignore this and carry on.

â€œWhen you reach a white farmhouse on your left you should retrace the road back for 400 yards then take the third road on the left, then the second road on the right, followed by the fourteenth road on the left.

â€œCarry along the single track road until you reach the A91 and follow this to the Park and Ride scheme at Kinross.

â€œBuses are running every 3 hours between here and the Park and Ride scheme running between Cupar and Methil from where you should be able to hitch a lift to Anstruther.

â€œProceed to the Smugglers Inn and ask for Big Alex. He will give you a letter of introduction to the captain of paddle-steamer the PS Skibladner heading for Trondheim in Norway on the morning tide.

â€œDuring the night you must get him inebriated and during a cards game persuade him to drop you off in St Andrews, from where a Park and Pogostick scheme is in operation back to Cupar.

â€œMake your way to the car park at the back of Argos where youâ€™ll be asked a riddle by a mysterious old crone. Answer correctly and you will be allowed to take the A914 south to Kettlebridge.

â€œAnswer incorrectly and youâ€™ll be banished to the treacherous B940 east to Pitscottie.

â€œFrom here you should dismount and take the ancient right-of-way across the Lomond Hills to Ballingry. Take care not to stray from the path for the moors are no place for inexperienced commuters.

â€œIn Ballingry you will need to have your papers forged and convince the border guards that you are but a simple onion seller on your way to market in Comrie.

â€œHere, a Park and Glider scheme is in operation to take commuters to the Park and Kayak scheme running between Culross and Grangemouth, from where there is a Park and Walk scheme in operation between here and Edinburgh.â€_


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## FairwayDodger (Dec 10, 2015)

SwingsitlikeHogan said:



			It's a cracking bridge mind!
		
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Ha! Literally!


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## SwingsitlikeHogan (Dec 10, 2015)

Slab said:



			Saw this online... Fife to Edinburgh alternate route 

_â€œThis diversion for cars and light vehicles travelling between Fife and Edinburgh has been prepared to minimise the disruption to people and businesses across the east of Scotland during the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

â€œFrom the M90 south take the A823 before Rosyth and follow Queensferry Road to Dunfermline town centre. Follow diversion signs to the A907 and take the B913 at Gowkhall to the B914 at Saline and take Bridge Street north.

â€œThen take the B906 to the B907 to the B654 to B7077, and follow the signs to the C3P0 and on to the R2D2. About 3 miles further on youâ€™ll come to a road block, ignore this and carry on.

â€œWhen you reach a white farmhouse on your left you should retrace the road back for 400 yards then take the third road on the left, then the second road on the right, followed by the fourteenth road on the left.

â€œCarry along the single track road until you reach the A91 and follow this to the Park and Ride scheme at Kinross.

â€œBuses are running every 3 hours between here and the Park and Ride scheme running between Cupar and Methil from where you should be able to hitch a lift to Anstruther.

â€œProceed to the Smugglers Inn and ask for Big Alex. He will give you a letter of introduction to the captain of paddle-steamer the PS Skibladner heading for Trondheim in Norway on the morning tide.

â€œDuring the night you must get him inebriated and during a cards game persuade him to drop you off in St Andrews, from where a Park and Pogostick scheme is in operation back to Cupar.

â€œMake your way to the car park at the back of Argos where youâ€™ll be asked a riddle by a mysterious old crone. Answer correctly and you will be allowed to take the A914 south to Kettlebridge.

â€œAnswer incorrectly and youâ€™ll be banished to the treacherous B940 east to Pitscottie.

â€œFrom here you should dismount and take the ancient right-of-way across the Lomond Hills to Ballingry. Take care not to stray from the path for the moors are no place for inexperienced commuters.

â€œIn Ballingry you will need to have your papers forged and convince the border guards that you are but a simple onion seller on your way to market in Comrie.

â€œHere, a Park and Glider scheme is in operation to take commuters to the Park and Kayak scheme running between Culross and Grangemouth, from where there is a Park and Walk scheme in operation between here and Edinburgh.â€_

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were it not so close to the truth about diversions...


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