Arup lands design of Forth Bridge tourism project

Arup has been appointed to take forward the design of a visitor centre and bridge walk for the Forth Bridge in Scotland.

The six-figure contract involves the development of designs for a visitor centre in North Queensferry and a facility for people to walk high on the rail bridge from the South Queensferry side.

Build-ready designs will be delivered by the middle of next year prior to a submission being made to local authorities for planning consideration.

The project will be led by Arup's South Queensferry office and will be supported by two local firms. WT Architecture will provide architectural advice and local knowledge and the Paul Hogarth Company will help develop the hard and soft landscaping for both locations.

“Arup’s bid stood out for a number of reasons, not least due to the involvement of local firms which will help form a strong core for the design team,” said David Dickson, route managing director at Network Rail.

Proposals for North Queensferry envisage visitors arriving via a landscaped shore-side walk to a visitor centre building created under the northern Fife Tower. The centre will be connected by a step-free ramp to two panoramic elevators, which will provide access to a viewing platform located at the top of the bridge, 110m above sea level.

The project was announced in August 2013 and further images were released in January (links opens in new tab).