Work to rebuild the six bridges that were destroyed by heavy rainfall in the King Edward area of Aberdeenshire continues – with three already reopened.
The replacement of the damaged bridges has been a pressing matter since September 2019 after severe flash flooding washed them away.
The crossings have since been impassible, with residents and local businesses have since been forced to take hours-long detours to nearby towns.
Bridge of Fortrie – the first crossing to be repaired following the incident – reopened last November, followed by the North Litterty crossing, near Fintry, earlier this month.
Efforts to reconnect rural community
North Litterty, which was originally a masonry arch carrying the U17S road, was replaced by a corrugated steel arch with rendered concrete parapets.
Meanwhile, Bridge of Fortrie has been improved with an increased waterway area and steel sheet piling to protect it from being undermined in future extreme weather events.
Bruntyards Bridge was the latest to be made accessible again, with all efforts now focused on the replacement of the Mill of Balmaud, near Strocherie, and then Millcroft at Plaidy.
Bridges manager at Aberdeenshire Council, Donald MacPherson, said: “This has been a major undertaking since the flash floods of 2019 and has taken significant investment to achieve our goal of rebuilding the structures we lost at King Edward.
“I am delighted that North Litterty and Bruntyards have now re-opened and works are well under way at Mill of Balmaud.
“I would like to thank all residents and businesses impacted by the closures for their patience and understanding as we do everything we can to reconnect this rural community.”
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