: For the nearby rail bridge , see Forth Rail Bridge . The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing the Firth of Forth in Scotland . With the then newest and nearest bridge spanning the Forth ( the Kincardine Bridge , built in 1936 ) still around 15 m upstream , the upsurge in demand for a road crossing between Edinburgh and Fife prompted the UK Government to establish the Forth Road Bridge Joint Board ( FRBJB ) by Act of Parliament in 1947 to oversee the implementation of a new bridge to replace the ferry service .