A Highland footbridge just refurbished at a public cost of £285,000 should be avoided in high winds and needs urgent attention, according to a local community councillor.
The 1902-built Alexandra Bridge in Tain, the only access from the royal burgh’s links to the sea shore, was recently repaired in work backed by funding from Historic Scotland, the town’s common good fund, Highland Council and Tain Community Council.
News earlier this week that a warning sign restricting the B-listed crossing to two people at a time had remained in place even after the repairs was met with incredulity.
But now, critics say the cautious approach may have been in order.
Community council treasurer Derek Louden said: “The side walls of the bridge are a significant problem and we want the cables tightened up. They’re pretty loose. It is a stability issue. In a high wind nobody should be on it.
“It’s disappointing that the structure hasn’t been tightened up properly. It wouldn’t be safe in a high wind. The cables are supposed to provide stability. Essentially, they’re anchors and the two on the shore side of the bridge are not taut.
“And the wire mesh, provided as sides of the bridge, has not been fitted correctly. The materials used to tie it are substandard. Quite a lot are already broken since being fitted just a few weeks ago.”
Asked how safe he felt using the newly refurbished bridge, he said: “Less safe than I expected to feel.”
He added: “They can’t have any more of the town’s money to repair it because they’ve had all of that already.”
The community council intends to raise its concerns with Highland Council officials at a routine meeting on Monday.
A spokesman for Linwood-based contractor Maclean and Speirs referred the Press and Journal’s questions about the safety of the crossing to the Highland Council press office.
No-one was available yesterday (FRI) at Highland Council for a comment.
A spokesman for the recently rebranded Historic Environment Scotland government agency said: “We made a site visit in September to view progress, as is normal with our grant aided projects.
“We are aware of concerns raised by local community council members since then and will work with Highland Council to evaluate the current situation.”