Britain’s Queen Elizabeth opens Scotland’s third Forth bridge
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth formally opened Scotland’s biggest infrastructure project in a generation – the third bridge across the River Forth – on Monday, exactly 53 years after she opened the second.
The 91-year-old monarch met with workers and school children who had gathered on the bridge before cutting a blue ribbon to mark its opening, as a flotilla passed underneath and the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows display jets flew overhead.
"The Duke of Edinburgh and I are delighted to be able to join the people of Scotland, to celebrate this extraordinary achievement".
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 4, 2017
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The 1.35 billion-pound ($1.7 billion) Queensferry Crossing, the longest bridge of its type in the world at 1.7 miles (2.7 km), connects the capital Edinburgh to Scotland’s north.
The Queen described all three “magnificent structures” crossing the River Forth, built in three separate centuries, as “feats of modern engineering”.
“The Queensferry crossing joins its iconic and historic neighbours to create not only a breathtaking sight across the Firth of Forth, but to provide an important link for so many in this community and the surrounding areas,” she said in a statement.
After a moderator from The Church of Scotland blesses the Bridge, The Queen officially opens the Queensferry Crossing. pic.twitter.com/kiD4V3K7uO
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 4, 2017
Built with 35,000 tonnes of steel and 150,000 tonnes of concrete, the crossing reaches 210 metres (690 ft) above high tide, standing as tall as about 48 London buses stacked on top of each other. Barriers deflect the wind and shield vehicles from the huge gusts common on the Forth.
Over the weekend 50,000 people had the unique opportunity to walk across the bridge as part of the Queensferry Crossing experience. pic.twitter.com/rFoHURMf4O
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 4, 2017
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