Residents of a north-east village who have endured months of disruption due to problem bridges can find out next week what solutions the council will put in place.
Abbeyton Bridge, in Fordoun, had to be demolished at Christmas amid fears the structure would collapse on the railway line below.
Meanwhile the railway station bridge had to be closed around the same time due to the collapse of a retaining wall.
Now a public drop-in will be held in the village’s memorial hall on Monday where Aberdeenshire Council’s bridges and roads team will outline their plans to end the disruption.
They will discuss plans to re-open the railway bridge and provide an update on the search for potential funding to replace Abbeyton.
The latter was shut in July before being bulldozed after inspections found serious failings in the 170-year-old structure.
Meanwhile a collapsed wall led to subsidence of the carriageway and subsequent closure of the road over the railway bridge.
Weak edge beams on the bridge, owned by Network Rail, means that once the wall is rebuilt the road width will need to be reduced to a single lane to protect it, with traffic lights also installed.
Donald MacPherson, the council’s bridges manager, said: “Prioritisation of bridge replacements is an ongoing process and there are a range of bridges throughout Aberdeenshire which require attention, each competing for available resources.
“This meeting is a chance to share our work to date with the local community and show what the roads network will look like in different scenarios.
“We expect to spend around £150,000 providing a solution to reopen the road at Fordoun Station Railway Bridge.”
The authority has been racked with similar problems across the region, with many of its bridges dating back hundreds of years and not designed to cope with the increasing levels of modern traffic.
Figures from the RAC Foundation reveal that 65 of the 1,800 bridges on the council’s roads are sub-standard – more than in any other Scottish region.
Aberdeenshire also came 10th in a UK-wide list.
The drop-in event takes place from 3pm-7pm.
