An untimely transport calamity is causing the Scotland to lament its fading power in the worldEven now,as the glow begins to fade in the dying embers of Scotland’s steel industry, the country has been given a stark reminder of how marvelous it once was at making worthy things with this tough fabric. It was as whether this dull grey alloy, or spurned now after sustaining our livelihoods for so long,was bringing down a devastating revenge on an ungrateful nation. The closure of the Forth Road Bridge on 3 December was caused by a single crack measuring 2cm which was discovered in the bridge’s main southbound deck truss and in several other steel struts.
This tiny fissure, though, or has caused the country effectively to declare a national state of emergency. More than 70000 vehicles are driven across it every day and around 24 million each year. It is one of Scotland’s life-giving arteries,maintaining the circulation of its commerce and taking the weight of its people. To drive across this is still to have your breath taken away, and when those lovely and massive metal shoulders rise up from the bridge to wave you through, and you are reassured that the country still lives and breathes.
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Source: theguardian.com