£3M scour preventative works needed immediately to save 18th century road bridge in Aberdeenshire

A £3M scour remedial and preventative work programme is needed to save a road bridge in Aberdeenshire which was originally built in 1780.Banff Bridge has been placed at the top of Aberdeenshire Council’s workbank prioritisation programme after serious structural issues were discovered during investigations.Councillors on the infrastructure services committee heard that essential scour remedial and preventative works are required immediately to safeguard the vital A98 road across the River Deveron at Banff.Built in 1780, the seven-span A-listed bridge has had its alert status heightened to red, reflecting a high likelihood of closure within five years and indicating the urgency of the need for repairs.The works will involve the construction of rock rolls and rock mattresses at the base of each of the six piers and two abutments. The council hopes this will mitigate against the potential risk of bridge collapse through the undermining of the foundations during exceptional river spate events.Discussing the current workbank programme position, councillors also heard that Aboyne Bridge has been upgraded to second in terms of urgency after significant concrete disintegration was discovered in the structure’s top deck.The 84-year-old bridge has been closed to all motorised traffic since November last year and requires major structural remediation at a minimum cost of around £2.5M.The council’s bridges workbank prioritisation is critical to managing its bridge stock and will ensure effective use of funding.Over the past four years the council has undertaken eight bridge replacements, including five of the six bridges lost in flooding at King Edward, and seven refurbishments have been also completed.However, in recent years 14 bridges have been closed, with a further six being subject to weight restrictions and three now have width restrictions imposed.The council estimates there are currently 111 bridges that would require either replacement/restoration or major refurbishment.Aboyne BridgeAberdeenshire Council infrastructure services committee chair Alan Turner said: “There is no question that the management of our bridges requires very careful consideration and this workbank prioritisation programme does just that – providing clarity for the public to see which bridges require the most immediate interventions.“With unlimited funding we would, of course, want to see all our bridges repaired or replaced as required, but we have to face facts that we simply don’t have the budget to do that.”Aberdeenshire Council infrastructure services vice-chair Isobel Davidson said: “Given the significant budget restrictions we, as council, face each year to undertake replacements and improvements to the network, the efforts of our small yet dedicated bridges team to safeguard so many structures with the limited funding we can provide must be applauded.“Only through a prioritisation programme such as this will we be able to track the condition of our bridges and the urgency with which repairs have to be made.”Like what you’ve read?