Forth Road Bridge - now in intensive care

[Stevoraith]

Apparently it was last checked during the summer and showed no signs.

Wish me luck, alarm set for 5am to try and get to work for 7am tomorrow morning.....

[robin]

Are you going to use the train? Or go the long way around?

[Stevoraith]

Went the long way round this morning. Left at 5.30, got to work (at Crewe Toll) at 6.40ish so not too bad.

Will likely be a different story tomorrow though.

A colleague who is on the opposite shift rotation to me but also lives in Kirkcaldy got the first train on Saturday morning (6.15ish) and got to work at 7.40.
The problem with the train is that I have to go into town and then get back out to Crewe Toll which is time consuming.

I think the best way may be to drive on day one but then instead of driving home, just go to Dalmeny and get the train home from there (I'm 15mins walk from the station in Kirkcaldy so no hardship to walk at the other end).
First train of the day from Kirkcaldy is 5.53 and that gets me into Dalmeny at 6.30, which is perfect time to then drive to work for 7.

the two issues I can see with that are that I may not get parked at Dalmeny as I imagine it will be busy. Second is that by the time a train gets to dalmeny from Edinburgh it may be rammed and I may not get on.

If I work until 7pm or so it may help with both of those issues though.....

Will try out various options over the next few days.

[Jamie Satriani]

Two RTC on the A985 already this morning and thats a Sunday, how many more before the month is out?, this road is not fit for motorway levels of traffic, I reckon there is going to be some mega carnage before the situation is rectified. Bet they are wishing they had invested in a Rosyth bypass now eh!.

[Stevoraith]

It is a terrible road. The standing water this morning didn't help one bit.

Was thinking about going through Dunfermline instead of down to Rosyth but the town may be worse with traffic.

[BigD]

Yeh going through Dunfermline is always slow.

Another way I've gone a few times from kirkcaldy is up to Kelty/Knockhill cut off of the motorway and then down to saline, oakley, blairhall then meet the roundabout at the clacks bridge/Alloa.
Works well in the summer and misses all the traffic usually.

[robin]

If you're coming back before 08:30 the next day on the train then you can leave your car in our street (no parking regulations between 6pm and 8.30am) and then walk to the Haymarket (15 mins absolute max - 10 mins for somebody unencumbered by heavy loads, small children or mobile telephones). We're down the hill and back up the other side from Crewe Toll just off the Queensferry Road (in fact there are similar places you could park that would be nearer, but possibly busier - we're a bit hidden); the street (and all others in Edinburgh) also have RingGo meters - meaning that if you're skeptical you'll make it for 08:30 the next day you can buy the parking on your phone (provided you remembered the meter code for the zone you left your car in). That way you won't get hit with a £30 ticket each time you're late. The primary advantage to you is that you've more chance of getting on the train at the Haymarket than Dalmeny, but to be completely safe you would want to use Waverley I guess.

Cheers,
Robin

Went the long way round this morning. Left at 5.30, got to work (at Crewe Toll) at 6.40ish so not too bad.

Will likely be a different story tomorrow though.

A colleague who is on the opposite shift rotation to me but also lives in Kirkcaldy got the first train on Saturday morning (6.15ish) and got to work at 7.40.
The problem with the train is that I have to go into town and then get back out to Crewe Toll which is time consuming.

I think the best way may be to drive on day one but then instead of driving home, just go to Dalmeny and get the train home from there (I'm 15mins walk from the station in Kirkcaldy so no hardship to walk at the other end).
First train of the day from Kirkcaldy is 5.53 and that gets me into Dalmeny at 6.30, which is perfect time to then drive to work for 7.

the two issues I can see with that are that I may not get parked at Dalmeny as I imagine it will be busy. Second is that by the time a train gets to dalmeny from Edinburgh it may be rammed and I may not get on.

If I work until 7pm or so it may help with both of those issues though.....

Will try out various options over the next few days.

[Ferg]

Rumours kicking about today about closing Kincardine Bridge to private vehicles to alleviate the congestion for HGVs and Buses.

[Dave]

I don't think the bridge is closing to private cars but a section of the A985 between Cairneyhill and Kincardine looks to be.
Some information here.
https://trafficscotland.org/news/story.aspx?id=13232
Then look for "road restrictions" to download the map

Rumours kicking about today about closing Kincardine Bridge to private vehicles to alleviate the congestion for HGVs and Buses.

[Ferg]

It's certainly a fair old challenge keeping the traffic moving by the looks of it.

[Stu160]

I was on that road tonight, it did have HGV,s and buses only at the roundabout, but most cars just kept going.....

Stuart

[robin]

I should imagine there's a police car sitting there this morning and then all of a sudden people will remember that they read after all ...

Cheers,
Robin

[thesurfbus]

Got the train from Dalmeny to Dalgety Bay this morning, wasn't too busy going north bound, but couldn't believe the amount of cars parked near the station at 6.30am.

[Dominic]

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov. ... =MAY077389

[Ferg]

There was a history posted on StalkerBook that basically said it had been de-prioritised due to budget. That seems a reasonable reason. The sentiment was polluted as usual with all of the unpalatable pseudo political insights to support personal views on both sides with calls for people heads. usual bollocks.

The main question it seems was "Did the removal of bridge tolls result in the reduction in maintenance budget?". Thoughts?