BEAR Scotland

Traffic Scotland have produced this video with Police Scotland on the importance of complying with Red X signs above motorway lanes. This is particularly important on the M90 around the Queensferry Crossing, where Red X signs will be used to hold traffic if a diversion over the Forth Road Bridge needs to be opened. https://lnkd.in/erb2gNgc Transport Scotland

A new viaduct that has been constructed to replace an 80-metre section of the Kincardine Bridge is set to open to traffic for the first time on Monday 18 November. The viaduct replacement works are being carried out by contractor Balfour Beatty plc. The contract is being let by Transport Scotland as the client, with operating company BEAR Scotland managing the project on their behalf. Detailed design has been carried out by Jacobs. More here: https://lnkd.in/e6iYxiku

The Forth Road Bridge Doors Open Day is set to take place for the third year in succession on Saturday 28 September. Transport Scotland’s Contact and Education Centre will be open to the public from 9am until 4:30pm, featuring a special exhibition to celebrate the bridge’s 60th anniversary, as well as educational activities for young people and a merchandise stall. The Scottish Roads Archive will be exhibiting, and there will be a chance to meet some of the sailors who worked on the ferries over the Forth. Everyone who attends will have the chance to enter a charity prize draw for a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to the top of the Queensferry Crossing’s main towers. Minibus tours of the bridge deck and anchorage are fully booked, however any spare places on the day due to people not turning up will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. There is no charge for the tours, however donations to charity are welcomed. All money raised will go to BEAR Scotland’s national charity partner Macmillan Cancer Support. More: https://lnkd.in/eYPq8vRK

At BEAR Scotland, we’re always looking for innovative ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Our reed bed filtration system is a natural and efficient way to treat surface water runoff, helping to remove pollutants and improve water quality. By harnessing the power of nature, we can sustainably manage water while protecting Scotland's natural ecosystems 🌱

BEAR Scotland is replacing the lights that illuminate the Queensferry Crossing towers with a significantly more energy efficient system. The @Transport Scotland funded project will see new LEDs installed to replace all architectural lights above and below deck at the main towers. The new lights are expected to deliver an energy saving of around 80%, reducing running costs and improving sustainability. The new system will also provide improved reliability, safety and future ease of maintenance and replacement.

This #ScottishClimateWeek, we're taking a look at just some of the things we're doing at BEAR Scotland to reduce our carbon footprint and protect the natural environment. Although there are no wild BEARs in Scotland, we care about all the other types of wildlife living around our trunk roads. Our environment team carry out: 🦇 Bat assessments looking for roosts, activity in the area and hibernating colonies 🦦 Pre-construction surveys for protected species like otters, badgers, beavers, red squirrels and more 🐦⬛ Nesting bird checks 🐟 Aquatic habitat assessment 📹 Camera trapping to monitor species #GreenWeek #WildlifeWednesday Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ewg_cBx6

One thing we get plenty of in Scotland is rain but have you ever wondered where it all goes? At BEAR Scotland, we’re committed to reducing our environmental impact while keeping Scotland’s roads safe. One of the ways we conserve water is by collecting waste from roadside gullies, processing it, and then reusing the water in our gully cleaners. #ScottishClimateWeek #GreenWeek

We're proud to showcase our commitment to sustainable infrastructure development as part of #GreenWeek at BEAR Scotland. We have been trialling in-situ and ex-situ recycling on the A86. Recycling materials improves the road surface in an environmentally friendly way. By recycling existing materials on-site, we significantly reduced haulage miles and the use of new resources, minimising our environmental impact and contributing to a more efficient and durable road network. #ScottishClimateWeek

On Thursday 19 September, #BEARScotland South East Unit Bridge Manager David Bishop and myself gave a presentation on the construction and maintenance of the #ForthRoadBridge and the #QueensferryCrossing to a visiting delegation from the Japan Bridge Association.

BEAR Scotland celebrated the Forth Road Bridge’s 60th anniversary today with two bagpipers serenading the famous bridge from the top of its 156-metre main tower. Sixty years to the day since Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the bridge in front of massed pipes and drums, ‘Scotland the Brave’ once again rang out across the Forth as bridge workers celebrated one of Scotland’s greatest engineering achievements. The pipers Martin Lennie, 48, and James Petrie, 41, both work for Transport Scotland’s bridge operating company BEAR Scotland. Incident Liaison Officer Martin Lennie has lived in Queensferry all his life and worked at the Forth Road Bridge since 1999, initially as a toll collector and then in the bridge control room. Martin said: “I grew up within sight of the Forth Road Bridge and have worked here more than half my life. It’s been brilliant to combine this with my other great passion – playing the pipes. “I was part of Queensferry & District Pipe Band as a schoolboy when we played at the bridge’s 25th anniversary celebrations in 1989, so it’s been quite emotional celebrating the 60th anniversary in this way 35 years later. “I’ve no fear climbing the bridge, but I do still get nervous playing in front of an audience!” Network Bridges Manager James Petrie has worked for BEAR Scotland since 2021. James said: “The chance to pipe from the top of the Forth Road Bridge has been a great honour and privilege for me as an engineer. “I worked on the bridge earlier in my career during replacement of the approach viaduct bearings and I’m now responsible for over 800 smaller structures in the rest of the South East network. “Hopefully people enjoy the footage and it shows how proud BEAR Scotland is to be entrusted with maintaining this famous bridge.”