Gigantic task as beams driven to new crossing

Four mammoth metal beams are being transported through Deeside in a major milestone on the £3.8 million Gairnshiel Bridge replacement project.

Construction work on the new crossing at the River Gairn, north of Ballater, commenced in April this year and is due to be finished by February.

Progress on the structure has been on schedule so far, with abutments on either side of the waterway almost finished.

Next month, four massive beams will be lowered into place by crane to create a new crossing at Gairnshiel and help preserve the original 18th Century bridge.

But before that happens, the bulky beams will need to be carefully transported to the construction site.

There are four beam sections being moved in total – two weighing 67 tonnes and two at 25 tonnes.

Aberdeenshire Council said the items are being transported in two pairs of one large beam and a smaller one at a time.

They are travelling up the A90 from Perth to Dundee, and then north to Aberdeen and along the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR). In order to avoid certain roads due to the sheer size of the beam sections and the lorries carrying them, they are avoiding heading west at Milltimber and are instead travelling to Deeside by first turning off the AWPR at Westhill, and then going to Banchory via Garlogie.

After they reach Banchory, the convoys will be heading west along the A93 to Ballater, before going north-west along the A939 to the construction site at Gairnshiel.

The first pair arrived in Banchory on Tuesday night, and made their way west to safely arrive at the site yesterday morning. The second pair are due to move from Stracathro this morning.

The council said: “We apologise for any inconvenience while this critical work takes place, and please allow extra time for your journey if travelling on the route on the days indicated.”

The old 18th Century bridge was originally built for horses, but has been used for decades by motorised traffic.

It is a crucial part of the A939, a vital link between Deeside and Donside, but has repeatedly been shut due to damage and wear and tear caused by heavy vehicles over the years.

Whenever it is closed for repairs, motorists are forced to take lengthy diversions, causing headaches for residents and a severe impact on the local economy.

The new bridge is being built to make such closures and diversions a thing of the past, and to help preserve the historically important A-listed original bridge for future generations.

Due to its remote location, Aberdeenshire Council and contractors Wills Bros Civil Engineering have had to overcome a series of challenges in building the new structure.

Donald Macpherson, bridges manager at Aberdeenshire Council, said it has been the “most complex” project he has ever worked on.

As well as the challenge of delivering the massive beams to the site, Mr Macpherson said getting the specialised crane to Gairnshiel next month will be extremely tricky.

In order to transport the eightaxle vehicle to the location, work has had to be done to reprofile the bumpy A939 road between Ballater and Gairnshiel in order to make it flat enough for the crane to make the journey.

TAKE THE HIGH LOAD: One of the metal beams being transported to the site of the replacement Gairnshiel Bridge. Picture by Kenny Elrick.

The long, winding route taken by lorries to move the giant structures.