Just over a third of Scots people support the £2.3billion plans for a new Forth Road Bridge, a new study has found. But more than half of Scots say that the current bridge should be repaired instead.

The Scottish Government is expected to publish legislation later this month which would authorise the new bridge if approved.

Green party co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "The massive scare campaign ministers have run against the existing Forth Road Bridge has clearly failed.

"Like everyone else, Greens believe we do need a road crossing over the Forth, and fortunately there already is one.

"There's still time for Scottish ministers to listen to public opinion and fix the existing bridge for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the disruption."

The Scottish Government want to build a new road bridge to the west of the existing one.

The YouGov poll surveyed 1,114 people and was commissioned by the Greens, Friends of the Earth Scotland and the ForthRight Alliance. It asked people if they backed a new bridge at a cost of £2.3billion - or replacing the current one at a cost of £122million.

It found that 34% support the plans for a new bridge being built, while 57%  believe that the existing Forth Road Bridge should be repaired.

Support for repair was highest among Tory supporters (64%) and lowest among the SNP voters (51%).

Nationalists (41%) were the biggest supporters of a new bridge, while Tory supporters (30%) were least supportive of this.

Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "The time is coming for Parliament to choose between an unpopular and unnecessary bridge and progress on delivering the ambitious climate change targets MSPs passed less than six months ago."
 
A Scottish Government spokesman branded the figures from the poll "misleading."

He said: "We are building a replacement crossing as well as utilising the existing bridge so that it can become a dedicated public transport corridor, which will be positive for the environment.

"The case to build a replacement crossing has never been more compelling. As the Forth Estuary Transport Authority warned again only last month, there is no certainty of the future viability of the existing Forth Road Bridge and no unconditional assurance can be given that the dehumidification work under way will prevent a further loss of strength of the main cables. That is why as a responsible government we are acting, and acting now."