Is closed bridge a taste of mayhem to come?

This past week we’ve experienced the result of the closure of the bridge on Kerse Road. A small taste of the mayhem the city of Stirling residents and visitors will soon have to endure for 12 months while Network Rail replace the bridge and upgrade the track. Could Network Rail revise this timescale?

Despite the diversion routes this week, there has been significant chaos on the roads - particularly in Riverside, where I personally spent over 30 minutes waiting in a line of traffic to do a journey which normally takes two to three minutes

My question to the traffic management planners of Stirling Council is: if this bridge is to be closed for a year a suitable traffic management strategy must be implemented as a matter of urgency.

Could the traffic calming islands along Forthside Way, near the Vue, be removed for this period to allow this road to be utilised more efficiently by traffic? Could re-direction of traffic be considered - perhaps a one-way system in places?

Would traffic light sequencing alteration at peak times – school pickup times etc be considered?

A question some people I have spoken to have voiced is - why is the work scheduled to take 12 months? This is a very long time and the effect to traders in Stirling, who are already experiencing difficulty, could be devastating.

Susan McGill, City of Stirling SNP