The Forth Road Bridge will reopen to traffic tomorrow (Wednesday 23 December) but HGVs will have to wait until February when, weather permitting, permanent repairs are due to be completed.

The bridge was closed to all traffic on 4 December after a crack was discovered in a truss under the carriageway.  Although temporary repairs have been made to the giant bridge to make it safe for lighter vehicles, tests have shown that they cannot be guaranteed to cope with continuous HGV traffic.

Speaking to the BBC, Transport Minister Derek Mackay said, "I am pleased that we are now able to reopen the bridge to 90% of traffic, well ahead of schedule. Following rigorous testing and inspection of the temporary repair, experts have recommended the bridge is now ready to open to all traffic except HGVs. With the temporary solution now in place, the remaining work to install the long-term repair can safely proceed without the need for a full closure.”

HGVs account for 32% of the weight the bridge normally carries despite representing only 9% of overall traffic.