[Mairi Rodgers – Preseantair] Thathar a' comharrachadh leth-cheud bliadhna am-bliadhna bhon a chaidh Drochaid Rathaid Fhoirthe fhosgladh. B' i an drochaid-chrochte as fhaide san Roinn Eòrpa aig aon àm, ach cha robh dad de dhùil aig an fheadhainn a thog i gum biodh 25 millean càir ga cleachdadh gach bliadhna. Tha tuilleadh aig Padraig MacAoidh.
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] ‘S i tè de phrìomh dhrochaidean na dùthcha ach chan i fiù’s an drochaid as ainmeile thar linne Fhoirthe. Ged a tha tòrr nas eòlaich agus ‘s dòcha nas measail air an drochaid rèile tha ri taobh, tha drochaid rathaid Fhoirthe air a bhith na pàirt cudromach de bheatha na mìltean de dhaoine fad leth-cheud bliadhna.
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] Chaidh an drochaid fhosgladh ann an 1964 agus thugar seachd bliadhna ga togail. Aig an àm b’ e seo an ceathramh drochaid-chrochte as motha san t-saoghal, an tè bu mhotha den t-seòrsa taobh a-muigh nan Stàitean Aonaichte agus Canada. Agus gun teagamh sam bith rinn i diofar mhòr dhan muinntir a bha fuireach air gach taobh dhen linne agus cuideachd dha muinntir na h-Alba air fad, toirt bailtean ann an ceann an Ear na dùthcha beagan na b’ fhaisge air a chèile.
[Iain MacLeòid] Eadhon aig an àm a chaidh a togail tha mi creidsinn gu robh i gu math cudromach dhan bhaile, dhan sgìre seo, dèanamh ceangal eadar Dùn Èideann agus na sgìrean gu Tuath – Fìobha ‘s Dùn Deagh ‘s Peairt agus eadhan a’ Ghàidhealtachd fhèin. Tha mi smaoineachadh aig an àm, a’ chiad bliadhna chaidh a togail gu robh dà mhillean gu leth carbaid a’ dol ga cleachdadh anns a’ bhliadhna agus bho chionn ghoirid bha iad a’ dèanamh a-mach gu bheil dhà air fhichead millean carbaid a’ cleachdadh na drochaid gach bliadhna agus mar sin ‘s e slighe uabhasach cudromach a th’ ann
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] Ach cha robh an drochaid gun connspaid. Bha cìsean air an drochaid gu 2008, bliadhnaichean às dèidh dhan drochaid pàigheadh air a son fhèin. Aig an àm, chosg an drochaid naoi deug gu leth millean not, còrr is trì cheud gu leth millean not ann an airgead an latha an-diugh. Tòrr nas lugha nan drochaid ùr a thathar a thogail ri taobh, bhathar an dòchas gum maireadh an drochaid còrr is ceud bliadhna. Ach chan e sin a thachair.
[Iain MacLeòid] Cha robh càil a dhùil aca aig an àm gum biodh uimhir a thrafaig ga cleachdadh agus mar sin, mar a ghluais an saoghal agus eaconamaidh na sgìre mar a thuirt mi, tha deich uimhir a bharrachd de charbaidean, de làraidhean, de chòmhdhail ga cleachdadh a-nis gach bliadhna agus mar sin bha e soilleir nach b’ urrainn dhith a bhith maireadh cho fada ‘s a bha dùil aca.
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] Bithear an dòchas gu mair an drochaid ùr le na chosgas i, co-dhiù an leth-cheud bliadhna a mhair an tè seo. Padraig MacAoidh, BBC An Là, Drochaid Rathad Fhoirthe.
[Mairi Rodgers – Presenter] The 50th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Road Bridge is being celebrated this year. It was the longest suspension bridge in Europe at one time but little did those building it know that 25 million cars would use it each year. Peter MacKay has more.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] It’s one of the main bridges in the country but it’s not even the most famous bridge over the Firth of Forth. Although the rail bridge beside it is more recognised and liked, the Forth Road Bridge has been an important part of the lives of thousands of people for 50 years.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] The bridge was opened in 1964 and it took seven years to build. At this time is was the 4th biggest suspension bridge in the world, the biggest of it’s kind outside the USA and Canada. And without a doubt it made a huge difference to those living on either side of the Firth and to those living Scotland wide, bringing towns on the East Coast a little closer together.
[Iain MacLeod] At the time it was built I imagine it was very important for the town and this area, making a connection between Edinburgh and the districts to the North - Fife, Dundee, Perth and even the Highlands. I think at the time, the first year it was built that there were 2.5 million vehicles using it and recently it was reported that 22 million vehicles use the bridge each year and it’s therefore a very important route.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] But the bridge was not without controversy. There were tolls on the bridge until 2008, years after it had been paid off. At the time, the bridge cost £19.5 million, more than £350 million in today’s money, a lot less than the new bridge that is being built beside it. They had hoped the bridge would last more than 100 years, but that’s not what has happened.
[Iain MacLeod] They had no idea at the time there could be so much traffic on the bridge, therefore as the world moved and the economy of the area moved on, there were 10 times the amount of cars and lorries, using it each year and hence it became clear it wasn’t going to last as long as they had hoped.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] With what the new bridge is costing, they hope it will last as long as the old one did – 50 years. Peter MacKay, BBC An Là, Forth Road Bridge.
[Mairi Rodgers – Preseantair] Thathar a' comharrachadh leth-cheud bliadhna am-bliadhna bhon a chaidh Drochaid Rathaid Fhoirthe fhosgladh. B' i an drochaid-chrochte as fhaide san Roinn Eòrpa aig aon àm, ach cha robh dad de dhùil aig an fheadhainn a thog i gum biodh 25 millean càir ga cleachdadh gach bliadhna. Tha tuilleadh aig Padraig MacAoidh.
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] ‘S i tè de phrìomh dhrochaidean na dùthcha ach chan i fiù’s an drochaid as ainmeile thar linne Fhoirthe. Ged a tha tòrr nas eòlaich agus ‘s dòcha nas measail air an drochaid rèile tha ri taobh, tha drochaid rathaid Fhoirthe air a bhith na pàirt cudromach de bheatha na mìltean de dhaoine fad leth-cheud bliadhna.
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] Chaidh an drochaid fhosgladh ann an 1964 agus thugar seachd bliadhna ga togail. Aig an àm b’ e seo an ceathramh drochaid-chrochte as motha san t-saoghal, an tè bu mhotha den t-seòrsa taobh a-muigh nan Stàitean Aonaichte agus Canada. Agus gun teagamh sam bith rinn i diofar mhòr dhan muinntir a bha fuireach air gach taobh dhen linne agus cuideachd dha muinntir na h-Alba air fad, toirt bailtean ann an ceann an Ear na dùthcha beagan na b’ fhaisge air a chèile.
[Iain MacLeòid] Eadhon aig an àm a chaidh a togail tha mi creidsinn gu robh i gu math cudromach dhan bhaile, dhan sgìre seo, dèanamh ceangal eadar Dùn Èideann agus na sgìrean gu Tuath – Fìobha ‘s Dùn Deagh ‘s Peairt agus eadhan a’ Ghàidhealtachd fhèin. Tha mi smaoineachadh aig an àm, a’ chiad bliadhna chaidh a togail gu robh dà mhillean gu leth carbaid a’ dol ga cleachdadh anns a’ bhliadhna agus bho chionn ghoirid bha iad a’ dèanamh a-mach gu bheil dhà air fhichead millean carbaid a’ cleachdadh na drochaid gach bliadhna agus mar sin ‘s e slighe uabhasach cudromach a th’ ann
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] Ach cha robh an drochaid gun connspaid. Bha cìsean air an drochaid gu 2008, bliadhnaichean às dèidh dhan drochaid pàigheadh air a son fhèin. Aig an àm, chosg an drochaid naoi deug gu leth millean not, còrr is trì cheud gu leth millean not ann an airgead an latha an-diugh. Tòrr nas lugha nan drochaid ùr a thathar a thogail ri taobh, bhathar an dòchas gum maireadh an drochaid còrr is ceud bliadhna. Ach chan e sin a thachair.
[Iain MacLeòid] Cha robh càil a dhùil aca aig an àm gum biodh uimhir a thrafaig ga cleachdadh agus mar sin, mar a ghluais an saoghal agus eaconamaidh na sgìre mar a thuirt mi, tha deich uimhir a bharrachd de charbaidean, de làraidhean, de chòmhdhail ga cleachdadh a-nis gach bliadhna agus mar sin bha e soilleir nach b’ urrainn dhith a bhith maireadh cho fada ‘s a bha dùil aca.
[Padraig MacAoidh – Neach-aithris] Bithear an dòchas gu mair an drochaid ùr le na chosgas i, co-dhiù an leth-cheud bliadhna a mhair an tè seo. Padraig MacAoidh, BBC An Là, Drochaid Rathad Fhoirthe.
[Mairi Rodgers – Presenter] The 50th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Road Bridge is being celebrated this year. It was the longest suspension bridge in Europe at one time but little did those building it know that 25 million cars would use it each year. Peter MacKay has more.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] It’s one of the main bridges in the country but it’s not even the most famous bridge over the Firth of Forth. Although the rail bridge beside it is more recognised and liked, the Forth Road Bridge has been an important part of the lives of thousands of people for 50 years.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] The bridge was opened in 1964 and it took seven years to build. At this time is was the 4th biggest suspension bridge in the world, the biggest of it’s kind outside the USA and Canada. And without a doubt it made a huge difference to those living on either side of the Firth and to those living Scotland wide, bringing towns on the East Coast a little closer together.
[Iain MacLeod] At the time it was built I imagine it was very important for the town and this area, making a connection between Edinburgh and the districts to the North - Fife, Dundee, Perth and even the Highlands. I think at the time, the first year it was built that there were 2.5 million vehicles using it and recently it was reported that 22 million vehicles use the bridge each year and it’s therefore a very important route.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] But the bridge was not without controversy. There were tolls on the bridge until 2008, years after it had been paid off. At the time, the bridge cost £19.5 million, more than £350 million in today’s money, a lot less than the new bridge that is being built beside it. They had hoped the bridge would last more than 100 years, but that’s not what has happened.
[Iain MacLeod] They had no idea at the time there could be so much traffic on the bridge, therefore as the world moved and the economy of the area moved on, there were 10 times the amount of cars and lorries, using it each year and hence it became clear it wasn’t going to last as long as they had hoped.
[Peter MacKay – Reporter] With what the new bridge is costing, they hope it will last as long as the old one did – 50 years. Peter MacKay, BBC An Là, Forth Road Bridge.