United kingdom Daily news: Forth Rail Bridge to make bid for World Heritage status

Selasa, 29 Mei 2012

Forth Rail Bridge to make bid for World Heritage status

Forth Rail Bridge to make bid for World Heritage status

By Travelmail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 04:52 EST, 29 May 2012 | UPDATED: 04:52 EST, 29 May 2012

The Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland could gain equal kudos to the Taj Mahal in India and the Great Wall of China.

The famed crossing has been invited to prepare a formal bid for World Heritage Status after it was included on a shortlist submitted to UNESCO earlier this year.

An independent expert group has now recommended that the bridge bid should go forward, with a final decision on heritage status expected in June 2015.

Treasured: The Forth Rail Bridge was finished in 1890 and occupies iconic status

If successful, it would be the sixth World Heritage Site in Scotland.

Heritage Minister John Penrose described the 1.5-mile structure, which was completed in 1890 and carries around 200 trains a day, as a 'strong contender'.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: 'The Forth Bridge is a Scottish icon that is recognised the world over.

'This nomination has the potential to be a celebration of our country's incredible engineering ingenuity and pedigree.'

The nomination will be overseen by the Forth Bridges Forum, which includes representatives from Historic Scotland, the Scottish Government agency charged with safeguarding the country's historic environment, and bridge owners Network Rail, among others.

Forth Rail Bridge construction, dated 1889

Engineering feat: An 1889 photo shows the work that went into the steel bridge's construction

David Simpson, route managing director for Network Rail Scotland, described the bridge as 'one of the most recognisable anywhere in the world'.

He added: 'This nomination should be regarded as a further tribute to the thousands of men who have contributed to building, maintaining and restoring the structure over the last 130 years.'

The bridge was built with about 54,000 tonnes of steel and an estimated 6.5 million rivets.

Work started in 1882 and the project, which took eight years to complete, cost Â£3.2 million - the equivalent to Â£235 million in today's money.

The crossing is not the only attraction that is making a bid for World Heritage Status.

Gorham's Cave Complex in Gibraltar - four sea caves lying at the base of the 426-metre high Rock of Gibraltar - has also been invited to prepare a nomination.

This could go forward in 2015, with a decision from UNESCO then expected the following year.

The current World Heritage Sites in Scotland are the Antonine Wall, St Kilda, New Lanark, the Heart of Neolithic Orkney and Edinburgh Old and New towns.