AS Queensferry Crossing carriageways have again been closed today following reports of large icicles falling and striking vehicles, Scottish Conservative Mid-Scotland and Fife MSP, Alexander Stewart blasted crossing bosses for the enormous disruption to traffic travelling to and from Fife as a result of this major “oversight” into the seriousness of the bridge’s design flaw.

Only last year, bosses had ordered an investigation into the safety scares caused by frozen cables on the £1.3billion structure whilst remote-controlled devices were considered as a method of clearing icicles during freezing temperatures.

Spokesperson & Shadow Minister for local Government, Mr Stewart said : “With winter approaching only last year, it was clear that Transport Scotland still hadn’t resolved the problem of ice accumulation high up in the bridge.

"We already know that engineers had planned to use specialist monitoring equipment to 'anticipate' any build-up of ice that could lead to lane closures and other traffic control measures being used and it shows that this concern has again born fruit last night, which meant further long delays and misery for commuters.

"But that is only “anticipating” it but not actually getting to the rood of the problem, and it beggars belief why the SNP Scottish Government has continued to fail in addressing this issue".

He added: "This is not only a risk to road & vehicle occupant safety but it causes significant disruption and delay for businesses and commuters to from my region of Fife. We have already witnessed the economic harm during the SNP’s watch, from having road access closed across the Forth Bridge and this issue is further distressing our residents and our economy.”

Transport Scotland said that the closure of the Crossing came after snow and ice had fallen from cables which had caused problems for motorists. An inspection would be held to decide when it would be safe to re-open the Crossing.