The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Bridge drives flood prevention scheme round the bend
Works hit a snag as ‘bendy’ bridge needs rebuilding
A £15 million flood prevention scheme for a Perthshire village has received a setback due to a bridge having to be rebuilt.
Civil engineers discovered that temporary supports for the Confluence Bridge deck over the River Almond at Almondbank moved while concrete was being poured and, as a result, it will now have to be rebuilt.
The bridge is part of the second phase of the Almondbank Flood Protection Scheme. Perth and Kinross Council are behind the scheme which went ahead after floods in 1993, 1999 and 2011.
Many locals claim the bridge had a noticeable “bend” in the middle and criticised the time it is taking to complete the flood defence work at Almondbank.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It took them about six weeks to build the bridge and it was all finished except for the approach roads but you could see that it had a bend in the middle of it.
“The next thing you know it’s all being taken down. It’s taken specialist contractors three weeks to cut it up.
“They put a facing on it to try to hide the fact that it was bent but they soon gave up on that,” he added.
“It must have cost tens of thousands of pounds extra and it’s not even demolished yet. I’d like to know who’s paying for all this extra work.”
A spokesperson for civil engineers Balfour Beatty confirmed the bridge will be rebuilt.
“We have been working hard to overcome the challenges encountered on the Almondbank Flood Protection scheme with Perth and Kinross Council,” he commented.
“Due to a defect which occurred while pouring concrete into the deck mould, it has been necessary to demolish and rebuild the Confluence Bridge to ensure quality and structural integrity. Additional works will be undertaken at no additional cost to the council and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.
“These works will not delay completion of the scheme.”
A Perth and Kinross Council spokeswoman said: “An investigation was carried out to see if the bridge was acceptable in its built condition and within specified limits, but it was determined that it was not.
“The original programme for the project set out in 2014 was ambitious with completion anticipated by December 2016. The first phase was carried out in 2015, but delays in finalising the design resulted in the second phase not starting until October 2016.
“Completion of the second phase was projected to be February this year, but due to issues encountered on site, the completion date is currently anticipated to be June.”
It must have cost tens of thousands of pounds extra and it’s not even demolished yet. I’d like to know who’s paying for all this extra work. LOCAL RESIDENT