The factory pre-fabricated deck weighing 800 tonnes was hoisted into place on the North Tower marking a major milestone for the £1.4bn project.

Contractors will now work towards spanning the gap between the three 200m towers with another 109 segments before opening the 2.3km bridge in December 2016.

Deck segments are being prefabricated in sheds at Rosyth shipyard.

Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown, who visited the site this weekend, said the positioning of the first deck section across the Forth rounded off “a momentous week” for public building projects in Scotland.

“This is the start of some spectacular engineering and as work progresses with further sections of deck lifted and cables attached, it will become even more of a remarkable sight.

“While the weather has been poor this year, especially wind conditions on the Forth, this is further evidence of the great job the workforce is doing to make such progress on the new bridge.”

About 1,200 workers are now employed on the project which is at peak construction.