The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
An overarching success: Residents welcome new Alyth bridges.
Bridges across Alyth Burn will be fully wheelchair accessible
New bridges are being swung into place in Alyth.
The two crossings will replace structures that were swept away during the 2015 storms.
The £174,000 project reached a milestone this week with the arrival of a new bridge linking the town square with homes and businesses on Commercial Street.
Council leader Ian Miller said the bridges have been built to a higher level to avoid damming.
The new crossings have been designed to be fully accessible for wheelchair users and are expected to be completed in about three weeks.
A once-in-200 year flood devastated the town in July 2015, forcing dozens of people out of their homes and closing shops and cafes.
In January 2016, locals were presented with a series of options for bridge repairs as part of a redevelopment of the town centre.
The majority initially voted to have all three bridges restored, but after further investigation Perth and Kinross Council found replacing all bridges would lead to less parking.
A second vote was held, with the majority opting to retain just two crossings.
Councillor Dennis Melloy has welcomed the new structures but said it was a shame all three bridges weren’t being replaced.
He said: “I have only had a positive reaction from residents and the business community since the bridges went in on Sunday.
“When I first saw the drawings I thought they would be too large and bulky for the Alyth Burn, but on seeing them now in place, I am delighted with them.
“My only regret was that we did not replace the third bridge that was destroyed in the floods, as a gap now appears where the third one lay.”
He added: “I would like to congratulate the council’s structures and flooding team for the sympathetic design of the bridges.
“The reason the bridges are a bit higher than the previous ones was to stop any trees and debris getting caught in the bridges, as had happened previously.
“The steps to the bridges have still to be finished off and handrails fitted.
“This should take approximately two to three weeks to complete, with as little disruption as possible to everyone.”
When I first saw the drawings I thought they would be too large and bulky for the Alyth Burn, but on seeing them now in place, I am delighted with them. COUNCILLOR DENNIS MELLOY