Six-week road diversion over bridge delays

The grand opening of the new Gairnshiel Bridge has been delayed until late spring, leaving Deeside drivers facing six weeks of dealing with a 25-mile diversion.

The £3.8 million project to replace the crumbling 18th-Century bridge at Gairnshiel, north of Ballater, was previously on course to complete this February.

But unfortunately, due to problems including poor weather, this is now being pushed back to later in the year.

And to add to motorists’ misery, the A939 Ballater to Tomintoul road just north of the current bridge will be shut for six weeks from February 20 to allow for the construction works to continue.

The extremely lengthy diversion will force drivers to travel via the A944, A93 and the A97 via Strathdon, Dinnet and Ballater.

However, Aberdeenshire Council believes this will be the “last longer duration closure” of the road before the bridge finally reopens. And the good news is, once the new bridge is officially opened, the council hopes these long diversions, which have caused travel headaches for years, will finally become a thing of the past.

The Gairnshiel Bridge is a key part of the A939, also known as the Old Military Road, and is crucial for travel between Deeside and Donside.

It was originally built to allow for two horses to cross side by side.

But after years of heavy vehicular traffic, it has been slowly crumbling into disrepair.

The poor state of the bridge has resulted in frustratingly frequent closures due to concerns over stability and damage to the A-listed structure.

These closures have resulted in annoying diversion routes, such as the one which will start on February 20.

Donald MacPherson, bridges manager for Aberdeenshire Council, said that despite making “very good progress” in recent months, the “wintry weather” prior to Christmas delayed the project, and the new opening date being looked at is “late spring”.

Mr MacPherson previously described the project as “the most complex” he has ever worked on.

It has involved major changes to the area, including new roads being built, which have also caused problems.

He said: “The major road re-alignment at the north end of the new structure, which includes substantial works associated with road drainage, has also presented challenges.

“Those substantial works will require what we anticipate will be the last longer duration closure of the A939 immediately to the north of the old bridge, starting on Monday February 20, for six weeks.

“We again thank motorists and the local community for their continued patience and understanding.”

REPLACEMENT: Beams being lowered across the river to form part of the new bridge.