The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Bumpy footpath is dug up just months after multi-million upgrade
Asection of a Broughty Ferry footpath has been dug up just months after it was revamped as part of a multi-millionpound upgrade.
Locals have branded it a “waste of money” after work began to resurface the walkway at Douglas Terrace.
Dundee City Council has confirmed it ordered the work to take place due to the surface being uneven.
It comes after some cyclists complained about the walkway being too bumpy.
Contractor McLaughlin & Harvey is footing the bill for the replacement with workers expected to return next week to begin work.
The firm says “inclement weather” and “logistical constraints” caused the issues.
It comes about six months after the walkway, part of the flood protection scheme, was fully opened.
Russel Pepper, chairman of Dundee Cycling Forum, says he is glad the decision has been made.
He said: “The surface was not good enough quality to cycle along. It was really bumpy and weird.
“Lots of cyclists had complained about it, including Dundee Cycling Forum.
“I knew the council was aware of the problems, but I didn’t realise it was getting fixed until someone told me on Tuesday.
“It wasn’t awful, but for some reason it was uneven and just fell below the standard you would expect.
“The rest of it is grand – it’s just that section.”
The Douglas Terrace walkway has been hugely popular since it opened and connects with further revamped sections at Fisher Street and Beach Crescent.
The cost of the flood protection upgrade as a whole has already risen from an initial £10 million to at least £16.3m.
Workers were using a digger to pull up the surface from the end of Grassy Beach to Home Street.
The work is expected to take about seven to eight days.
One woman, who regularly visits the newly installed route with her husband, says she is surprised to see the path closed again so soon.
She said: “It surely can’t be the whole walkway that is being dug up.
“What a waste of money this is [digging up the path].
“It looked like they’d done such a great job with it, but maybe not.”
Another woman said: “I live just the other side of Douglas Terrace so come here often.
“It has been a brilliant upgrade, but I have no idea why it is closed again already.”
A spokesperson for McLaughlin & Harvey said: “It’s important to us that our work is of the highest quality. This section of path was laid during some inclement weather and with some logistical constraints, which unfortunately resulted in irregularities in the surface finish.
“We have decided to excavate and relay the section to uphold our quality commitment.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “The foot pathway between Home Street and the Grassy Beach path is currently being relaid due to surface irregularities.”
“This section of path was laid during some inclement weather