The Strathavon Road in Moray has reopened following flood damage earlier this year.

The road, near Strathavon Lodge on the B9136 Avonside Road, was left in a dangerous condition in August after the River Avon flooded and undercut the bank and tarmac its banks and swept the road away.

Moray Council closed the road and motorists faced a lengthy diversion until repairs were carried out.

Limehillock Quarries (R&C Murray) was appointed to carry out the repairs and started on site within two days of the damage being caused.

The project included creating a channel in the river to keep the water away from the section that had washed away. This was washed away for a second time in August following a period of heavy sustained rain. The contractor then made the decision to place large boulders to protect the bank and filled in the space behind them with rock to build it up to the level of the road.

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The road was then resurfaced and the verges were landscaped.

Ian Cameron, Moray Council's Area Engineer for the east of Moray, explained: "The B9136 is an important route in the Tomintoul area. When it was closed due to a massive wash out during flooding on the 11th August the travelling public faced a long diversion via Drumin, Glenlivet and back to Tomintoul via Tomnavoulin on the B9008.

"The repair therefore had to be carried out asap. The type of heavy plant and materials needed are not used by Council roads maintenance teams, who were busy anyway with numerous other sites that had been damaged.

"Limehillock Quarries have expertise in this type of work having contracted for similar types of work in the past – they have their own heavy plant and quarries, could guarantee the material supply and were able to deploy to site immediately.

"We are very pleased with the final result and the speed with which the road was re-opened, no doubt the residents and road users of the area are too."

(JP/CD)