A longer crane has been drafted in to help with the installation of the new East Beach Bridge in Lossiemouth.
The section of the bridge was due to be lowered into place this morning, but was hit by delays when the contractors discovered the existing crane set-up was too short.
Work began at 8am, with the team trying to move the bridge section over before bringing it back to dry land.
An extra luffing jib was brought to the site, and today the team has been busy building it and preparing for the lifting works to resume tomorrow.
The bridge is being installed in four sections this week, with the fourth and final part to be put into place on April 28.
Residents in Lossiemouth took to social media to voice their support for the long-awaited bridge’s completion.
One wrote: “Will get there in the end.. all that matters is at end of the day we will have a bridge.”
£1.8m bridge will boost local economy
Crowds turned out on Monday to watch the work get under way on the long-awaited project.
The new bridge will replace the old East Beach Bridge that was closed amid structural concerns in 2019.
The closure has kept holidaymakers away, costing the local economy over £1.5 million.
Lossiemouth residents are eager to walk across the bridge to the dunes once more, and have been sharing their thoughts online.
One wrote: “Conveniently, for me, the first piece was put into position on my lunch break. So I was able to see it live.
“Looking forward to walking our dogs over the bridge when we visit in June.”
Moray Council, which will maintain the bridge after completion, expects the bridge to be open by May 18.
The project is being filmed through a webcam livestream.
