Scotland's Stirling Council has said that the opening of its Forthside Bridge has been put back until next year as it is has been advised by contractor Edmund Nuttall that it is taking longer than planned to complete the final elements of work.
Edmund Nuttall divisional director James Scobie said: "As the new structure is nearing completion, major components, including the main stays, are being stressed in a controlled process to introduce the required strength and rigidity. Given the complex and unique nature of the bridge design, this stressing process is taking longer than originally anticipated and has required adjustment to the structure's support systems."
The bridge is a 113.4m-long three span cable truss design with a main span of 88.2m. It was designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Gifford for Nuttall and was the winning bid in a design-construct competition. The design is based on the principle of an inverted 'fink' truss. Two tapered and inclined truss planes are arranged to create a twisting form.
