Editing Forth Road Bridge (section)

===New crossings and change of use===
{{main|Queensferry Crossing}}
[[File:Forthcurrent.jpg|thumb|Forth Road Bridge operating as a public transport corridor, 2024. [[Queensferry Crossing]], the newer road bridge crossing the Firth of Forth, is shown in the background.]]
The strategic transport importance of the road bridge and the threat of closure by 2020 if major structural work were not undertaken led to fears of serious economic consequences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/time_running_out_for_new_bridge_1_689752 |title=Time running out for new bridge – News |publisher=scotsman.com |date=26 January 2006 |access-date=15 January 2012}}</ref> Increasing traffic levels across the Firth of Forth had also led to the construction of the [[Clackmannanshire Bridge]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7646508.stm |title=UK &#124; Scotland &#124; Tayside and Central &#124; Name chosen for new Forth bridge |work=BBC News |date=1 October 2008 |access-date=15 January 2012}}</ref> adjacent to the existing [[Kincardine Bridge]]. This bridge opened in November 2008.

Proposals for a second road crossing at Queensferry had been made in the 1990s, but were shelved, despite preliminary work on route selection. Following the discovery of potentially serious structural issues with the Forth Road Bridge in 2005 the proposals were revisited and plans advanced. The decision to proceed with a replacement bridge was taken at the end of 2007, and it was announced the following year that the existing bridge would be retained as a public transport link. The Forth Crossing Act received Royal Assent in January 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.transport.gov.scot/projects/forth-replacement-crossing/document-library/forth-crossing-act/|title=Transport Scotland|website=www.transport.gov.scot|access-date=18 January 2018}}</ref> and the new bridge was opened in late 2017.

On 1 February 2018, the Forth Road Bridge became a Public Transport Corridor, with all approach roads in full operation.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/15913226.Forth_Road_Bridge_reopens_to_public_transport/ | title=Forth Road Bridge reopens to public transport| date=February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/bus-work-incomplete-as-forth-road-bridge-starts-new-role-1-4677838 | title=Bus work 'incomplete' as Forth Road Bridge starts new role}}</ref> The bridge was closed between September and mid October 2017 for roadworks before partially reopening for public buses.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-41594788 | title=Public buses back on Forth Road Bridge| work=BBC News| date=13 October 2017}}</ref>

As of December 2020, work was underway that would allow the Forth Road Bridge to become an emergency diversion route for private transport.<ref name = diversion>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-55286479 |title=Queensferry Crossing and Forth Road Bridge to close for emergency drill |website=BBC News |date=13 December 2020 |access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> The Queensferry Crossing has proofing that makes it less vulnerable to high winds than the Forth Road Bridge, but it was closed for the first time in February 2020 due to accumulations of ice on its towers.<ref name = diversion/>

====Driverless buses====
[[File:Stagecoach autonomous E200 MMC trial.jpg|thumb|right|A driverless bus of the same model that operates across the Forth Road Bridge.]]
On 22 November 2018, it was announced that £4.35 million of funding had been secured for the United Kingdom's first passenger-carrying [[autonomous vehicle|driverless bus]] trial, planned to take place across the Forth Road Bridge public transport corridor by 2021.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 November 2018 |title=First driverless Edinburgh to Fife bus trial announced |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-46309121 |access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref> Five brand new autonomous 42-seater [[Alexander Dennis Enviro200 MMC|Alexander Dennis Enviro200AV]] single-decker buses, with autonomous control modifications supplied by Fusion Processing, are operated by [[Stagecoach Fife]] on a {{convert|14|mi|km}} park-and-ride route in mixed traffic at up to {{convert|50|mph|abbr=on}} between [[Inverkeithing]], on the north side of the Forth, and [[Edinburgh Park station|Edinburgh Park]] Transport Exchange, across the bridge. The service has two members of staff onboard – for operational reasons and to comply with UK legislation, a safety driver is still present in the cab to monitor the technology, but they do not operate the vehicle other than in exceptional circumstances. A 'captain' takes tickets and answers questions. The service started on 15 May 2023 and runs on a frequent timetable with capacity anticipated to be around 10,000 passenger journeys a week.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stagecoach to launch fleet of driverless buses between Fife and Edinburgh |url=https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/23433311.stagecoach-launch-driverless-buses-forth-road-bridge/ |access-date=4 April 2023 |website=Dunfermline Press |date=4 April 2023 }}</ref><ref name="BBC-15May2023"/>