BEAR Scotland has announced that an essential bridge maintenance project is due to take place on the A9 Blackford Rail Bridge east of Blackford, with works set to get underway from Sunday 12 June.

The £275,000 investment from Transport Scotland will involve a full bridge deck refurbishment as well as the replacement of the existing parapet. The project will ensure long term durability and serviceability of the structure.

The project is programmed to begin on Sunday 12 June and is expected to take place over seven weeks, with all works expected to be complete on Sunday 7 August, subject to weather conditions.

The project will take place as follows:

• Phase one – Sunday 12 June to Saturday 16 July (five weeks) – During the bridge deck refurbishment works, to ensure the safety of both roadworkers and motorists, a contraflow system will be in place full time on the A9 over the five weeks. The contraflow will begin on the northbound carriageway with single lane traffic in each direction travelling on the southbound carriageway. Southbound works will then see traffic being switched to the northbound carriageway.

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• Phase two – Saturday 30 July to Sunday 7 August (nine days) – During the replacement of the existing parapet and adjacent vehicle barriers, lane one closures to both the northbound and southbound carriageways will be in place continuously to ensure the safety of roadworkers and motorists.

Consultation has been carried out with Transport Scotland, Perth and Kinross Council, Community Councils and transport operators to inform them of the plans for the project in advance.

Commenting on the works, Ian Stewart, BEAR Scotland's North East Representative said: "This £275,000 investment from Transport Scotland will allow our teams to carry out bridge deck refurbishments as well as upgrade the existing parapet, ensuring this bridge near Blackford continues to operate safely for years to come.

"We've programmed the project across two phases to reduce the impact to road users, and we have arranged for all traffic management to be removed from the road between the phases of work. The contraflow system will also allow the project to be completed in the shortest possible timescale but regrettably there will be some impact on traffic during this first phase.

"The traffic management is essential for ensuring the safety of our work force as well as motorists, and our teams will do all they can to carry out the work as quickly and safely as possible.

"We would ask that road users abide by all traffic or speed restrictions put in place during the work for their safety, and to use both lanes when queuing to help reduce congestion during phase one.

"We thank road users for their patience during these essential works and encourage them to plan their journeys in advance by checking the Traffic Scotland website before they travel and allowing some extra time to reach their destination."