Bridge site work suffers setback
Live electricity cable adds to planners’ woes
Work at the proposed site of the replacement footbridges across Alyth Burn has been delayed due to the discovery of an unchartered live electricity cable on Commercial Street in the town.
The current bridges were damaged beyond repair during devastating flooding in the town in July 2015 and are to be replaced as part of Alyth’s town centre regeneration work.
Following a consultation and community vote earlier this year, a decision was taken to replace two of the three footbridges.
Work by Perth and Kinross Council contractors to replace the footbridges got underway a few weeks ago but the Blairie understands that ongoing Scottish Gas work at the proposed location of the downstream footbridge is taking longer than anticipated.
This is due to the discovery of an unchartered live SSE low voltage cable during excavation work at the proposed location of the main footbridge on Commercial Street.
The cable is to be excavated by hand this week before being disconnected and council officers anticipate that disruption to traffic in the area will be “minimal”.
Construction work for the main footbridge is currently still on schedule to get underway on Monday, January 9 for a period of approximately nine weeks.
Temporary traffic lights will be in place during the construction period and there will also be restrictions in place on waiting and parking on Commercial Street, including the temporary loss of between five and six car parking spaces.
According to the local authority, work at each footbridge location will be carried out consecutively and therefore not at both locations at the same time.
There will a one-day full road closure on Commercial Street on Sunday, February 19 when the installation of both footbridges will take place.
Pitnacree Street in the town will be closed from Old Packbridge to Market Square from January 5 for the construction work but access to Classic Restorations will be maintained.