An historic bridge in Bathgate, West Lothian, is to undergo a series of restoration works, it has been announced.

The Boghead (Paulville) Bridge is located on Whitburn Road in the area and carries the road over the Bog Burn.

A total of £150,000 will be invested by the local authority on repairs and will see the full load carrying capacity restored to the bridge. Other works include stonework repairs and repointing to the arch of the structure, while a complete take down and reconstruction of the parapets will be carried out to meet current standards. The road over the bridge and the footway on the south approach will also be resurfaced.

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A specialist contractor commenced work this week on the scheme which is expected to last for eight weeks. Traffic lights will be in place throughout the duration of the works and some delays are expected for motorists. In addition, no pedestrian footways are available over the bridge, and the Council has said all pedestrian access is via the adjacent timber footbridge to the west or the new cycle bridge to the east.

Tom Conn, Executive Councillor for the Environment, said: "Historic maps show the bridge has been in-situ since at least 1854 and an assessment has shown that the bridge is no longer suitable to carry current vehicle loads. The works will therefore involve strengthening the bridge by installing stainless steel anchors into the arch barrels."

(JP/IT)