Meeting of the Parliament 21 January 2026
I thank Tim Eagle for securing the debate.
Roads and rail—and, once upon a time, canals as well—have been the vital arteries of our nation, which have driven prosperity in this country for hundreds of years. However, we all take for granted the key to that brilliant network functioning, which is its bridges, whether they are viaducts on a canal route, a wee narrow bridge on a country road connecting two villages or the mighty Forth rail bridge, oozing magnificence and strutting Scotland’s past engineering expertise for more than 135 years.
However, with the exception of the many great structures, we have ignored this vital piece of Scottish infrastructure. Most bridges go unnoticed until there is a failure. That is usually caused by a lack of good inspection and maintenance regimes, which has been a common theme over the past 20 years. Maintenance and inspection budgets for structures have been reducing, which is a great pity, because we have thousands of these tremendous structures. Some of them are works of art, but we are putting them in danger, especially the older type of bridge that is prevalent throughout rural Scotland. General maintenance can take months, but a new bridge can take several years to build and can cost tens of millions of pounds, rather than tens of thousands.
Being a keen fisher, I have come across many bridges over the years: a bridge is the first thing that we look for when it starts to rain, as they provide a bit of shelter. We might usually have our piece and a cup of tea while under the bridge. Then, we start to notice the fine detail and precision. It makes us wonder how such bridges was constructed in the first place, considering that most of them were built before we were all born, when technology and equipment were primitive. That might be the civil engineer in me talking.
I could go very hard on the Scottish National Party and say that all that ministers seem to be doing is managing decline, rather than rolling their sleeves up and tackling the issues that affect structures such as bridges. I must recognise, however, that we have built a few bridges at the same time: the squinty bridge in Glasgow, the Queensferry road bridge and the eyesore that many members will have seen on the M8—the rusty bridge, which is what all the kids call it, anyway. It is a bit of a monstrosity, and very few people will put their name to it. It is there, nonetheless.
Bridges are a vital part of our heritage, and they are essential to the economy, regardless of how magnificent or ugly they are. As I mentioned earlier, most go unnoticed; they are just performing the function that they were designed to fulfil.
More cross-party co-operation in protecting these valuable assets is needed. A sustainable funding model should allow communities to benefit from existing infrastructure, using solutions that economists and the people of Scotland will choose. We should look after and cherish what we already have, because it is only when it isnae there that we miss it.