A flagship manifesto commitment by Aberdeen’s opposition SNP group to create a new bridge over the River Dee could cost twice what was predicted.
The nationalists will fight the May council elections on a pledge to build a new arch crossing, alongside the historic Bridge of Dee, with the price estimated at between £40million and £60million.
However, papers seen by the Press and Journal, which will be presented to councillors on the infrastructure committee later this month, indicate the SNP’s preferred option is now expected to cost between £71million and £89million.
The Third Don Crossing, which was completed last year and is now called the Diamond Bridge, cost around £22million – after suffering numerous delays and price increases.
Plans for a new Dee crossing have been on the table since early last year with three designs put forward.
Along with the SNP plan of a crossing alongside the Bridge of Dee, the other options involve building further up river near to Robert Gordon University.
Last night, council finance convener, Willie Young, of the Labour-led administration stated: “The SNP said previously the city is in too much debt, so they have questions to answer about how spending nearly £100m will solve that.
“We support a bridge, but whether we need that in the next five years is another issue.”
In response, SNP group leader, Stephen Flynn, said: “While this administration has been in administration, there have been overspends from the capital budget, amounting to tens of millions of pounds.
“With more prudent management, we could invest that in other projects like a new bridge over the Dee.”
Such a crossing has been supported by the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, with research and policy director James Bream saying it had the potential to bring £1billion of investment into the city.
