The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Farmers hit by delays to repair of vital crossing
Plans to install temporary bridge to the Culteuchar culvert put back until December with storm damage worse than anticipated, leaving locals dismayed
Concerns have been raised by farmers after measures to fix a road damaged in last month’s thunderstorms were delayed.
The C414 Pathstruie to Path of Condie road near Ardargie was severely damaged in the freak storms.
The damage has added 20 minutes on to journeys into Dunning for road users.
A temporary bridge was due to be installed at the Culteuchar culvert on the C414 this week but it has been delayed as the damage is more serious than initially anticipated.
The bridge is now due to be in place in mid-December but concerns have been raised about the impact this delay will have on local residents.
SNP councillor for the Almond and Earn ward Henry Anderson described the timescale as “unacceptable”, adding farmers need to be able to move goods such as straw from other nearby fields.
He said: “They have all that straw which they thought would be able to be moved in September.
“This is a vital road to keep the infrastructure in the area going. It is a great way [the farmers] work and this is being made more difficult due to the dithering of the administration.
“My question to the administration is: why are we going to have a temporary bridge when it is going to take so long for them to go back to it again in the future?
“The timescales are unacceptable. This culvert needs addressed.”
Convener of the environment and infrastructure committee, Councillor Angus Forbes attributed the delay to “additional structural concerns”.
He said: “I am aware of this bridge and I understand that the project to replace it has become more complex and time consuming due to additional structural concerns on the road.
“This means that it will be a larger and more complex job which will naturally take longer but I want to assure the residents that it will be completed as quickly as possible.
“I am sure that Councillor Anderson appreciates that the job has to be done properly and public safety has to be the priority.”
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council added: “We appreciate not having a bridge in place is frustrating for people living and working in the area but public safety is our main concern.
“Significant excavation works will be necessary to make the site safe and this work will now begin next month. We thank everyone for their patience.”