Editing Forth Road Bridge (section)

===Construction===
[[File:The Forth Road Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 411708.jpg|thumb|Under construction in July 1962]]

[[File:Section of vertical cable of the Forth Bridge, photo 1.JPG|thumb|A section of cable from the Forth Bridge, at the [[National Museum of Scotland]], 2020]]
The final construction plan was accepted in February 1958 and work began that September.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IjY1AAAAIBAJ&pg=1910%2C248700 |title=Work begins on Forth Road Bridge. South Queensferry's Hopes As Tourist Centre |work=The Herald |date=2 September 1958 |page=11 |access-date=15 May 2017}}</ref> [[Mott, Hay and Anderson]] and [[Hyder Consulting|Freeman Fox & Partners]] carried out the design work and a joint venture of [[Sir William Arrol & Co.]], [[Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company]] and [[Dorman Long]] constructed the bridge at a cost of £15.1 million.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.thethreebridges.com/forth-road-bridge/  |title=Forth Road Bridge|publisher=The Three Bridges| access-date=18 September 2021}}</ref> The resident design engineer was John Alexander King Hamilton [[FRSE]] (1900–1982).<ref>{{cite book|title=Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002|date=July 2006|publisher=The Royal Society of Edinburgh|isbn=0-902-198-84-X|url=https://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|access-date=6 September 2016|archive-date=24 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124115814/http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/fellows/biographical_index/fells_indexp1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

It was the longest steel suspension bridge in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concretecentre.com/pdf/CQ_063_Winter1964.PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305015018/http://www.concretecentre.com/pdf/CQ_063_Winter1964.PDF|url-status=dead|title=Concrete Quarterly Winter 1964|archive-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> It used 210,000&nbsp;tons of concrete, with {{convert|9|mi|km|abbr=off}} of [[Grade separation|grade-separated]] dual-carriageway [[approach road]]s. [[Reed & Mallik]] built the approach viaducts.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thethreebridges.com/forth-road-bridge/|title=Forth Road Bridge {{!}} The Three Bridges|last=mtc.|work=The Three Bridges|access-date=18 January 2018}}</ref>

Twenty-four individual bridges were built for the approach roads. The {{convert|4+1/2|mi|km|adj=on}} southern approach road of the A90 began at Cramond Bridge, over the [[River Almond (Lothian)|River Almond]] on the western outskirts of Edinburgh, near [[Craigiehall]]. There were two-level interchanges built at Burnshot, Dolphington (B924) and the Echline junction ([[A904 road|A904]] and B800). At [[Dalmeny]] there was a bridge over the [[Fife Circle Line|railway]]. The southern approach roads were built by A.M. Carmichael Ltd. The {{convert|4|mi|km|0|abbr=on}} northern approach road had three two-level junctions at Ferry Toll<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ferrytoll.org/htmlpages/index.html|title=Ferrytoll Park & Ride|access-date=4 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525130356/http://www.ferrytoll.org/htmlpages/index.html|archive-date=25 May 2011}}</ref> (for the B980), Admiralty (for [[Rosyth Dockyard]] via the [[A985 road|A985]], and [[Inverkeithing]] via the [[A921 road|A921]]) and at Mastertown/Masterton (for what would be the fledgling M90 southern terminus). The Masterton junction was an octopus junction, a variation of a [[Cloverleaf interchange|clover-leaf junction]], with six bridges and a 600&nbsp;ft viaduct. There were fifteen bridges built for this approach road. The northern approach road terminated as the [[A823(M) motorway|A823(M)]] at a roundabout with the [[A823 road|A823]] south of Dunfermline, next to [[Rosyth railway station]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://motorwayarchive.ihtservices.co.uk/en/motorways/motorway-listing/m90-inverkeithing-to-perth-and-m85-perth-bypass/index.cfm|title=M90. Inverkeithing to Perth and M85. Perth by-pass|author=Pixl8 Developer|access-date=4 December 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808180031/http://motorwayarchive.ihtservices.co.uk/en/motorways/motorway-listing/m90-inverkeithing-to-perth-and-m85-perth-bypass/index.cfm|archive-date=8 August 2016}}</ref> The northern approach roads were built by Whatlings Ltd of Glasgow, later bought by [[Alfred McAlpine]].

Seven people died during construction before the bridge was opened by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] and the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]] on 4 September 1964.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.feta.gov.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=93 |publisher=Forth Estuary Transport Authority |title=The Bridge – Introduction |access-date=7 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430093834/http://www.feta.gov.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=93 |archive-date=30 April 2009}}</ref> The ferry service was discontinued as of that date.