One of Aberdeen’s busiest entry points is to close overnight for three weeks.
The Bridge of Dee will be shut for vital masonry repairs and maintenance work from Monday, between 7.30pm and 6am.
The closure will not be in place on Saturdays and Sundays.
The specialist work will be designed to ensure the A-listed bridge remains strong enough to cope with the heavy and fast flowing river, and the potential of storms over the winter.
A diversion for motorists will be in place between Great Southern Road and Riverside Drive.
The bridge will remain open to pedestrians throughout the repairs.
Andy Thompson, Bear Scotland’s north-east representative, said the crossing must be closed for a number of reasons.
Mr Thompson said: “The masonry repair and maintenance works are essential to ensure the continued safe operation of this
busy part of the trunk road network, and will help ensure it is resilient to the impact of any weather event in the future.
“We’ve taken steps to minimise disruption to motorists by carrying out the repairs during night time hours and avoiding working at weekends.”
Originally built in the 16th century to replace a ferry boat over the River Dee, the bridge has been used as the primary link between Aberdeen and the south for centuries, and it is still used every day by thousands of drivers travelling north and south on the A90.
Maintenance work on the Bridge of Dee has not been completed on the structure since 2000.
Bear Scotland’s latest repair work on the historic crossing will cost more than £100,000.
Mr Thompson added: “Our team will look to complete the works as quickly and safely as possible, and we thank motorists for their patience in advance and encourage them to plan ahead by checking the Traffic Scotland website for up to date journey information and leave a little extra time to reach their destination.”
