Aberdeenshire Council is hopeful that repairs to Keig Bridge near Alford can begin shortly after full specification and detailed design information was sent to Historic Scotland at the end of last week.

The Bridge of Keig was closed in February following structural damage to its walls and road surface during sustained winter weather.

As a result, the bridge on the B992 Whitehouse to Keig Road, near Alford, was closed to all traffic – including emergency services vehicles until further notice.

Following the damage Aberdeenshire Council’s bridge engineers immediately conducted a series of inspections of the structure to assess what work was necessary for repairs.

Due to the bridge’s Grade A listing, consultations began with the authority’s planning service and Historic Scotland to find the most appropriate repair solution. A design in principal for the use of steel anchors was obtained from a specialist contractor and a listed building application submitted at the beginning of April.

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Listed Building Consent for the work was granted at the end of May.

However, Historic Scotland qualified their initial approval for repairs with a condition that they must approve the full specification and detailed design prior to commencement on site.

Once the work is approved, the £150,000 project will run for eight weeks and will see the steel anchors inserted into drilled holes in the bridge’s masonry.

The external appearance of the bridge will not be affected as a result of the works.

Head of Roads for Aberdeenshire Council, Philip McKay, said: “Following the damage to the Bridge of Keig earlier this year our engineers consulted closely with the council’s planning service and Historic Scotland to identify the most effective repair solution.

“We continue to liaise with our colleagues at Historic Scotland on a regular basis and now only await final approval so the earliest possible start date for the work can be arranged.”

The Bridge of Keig, built 183 years ago, is one of the largest near semicircular single span masonry arches in Scotland, with a span of 30m and spandrel wall heights of nearly 15m.

(GK)