Transport Scotland’s Operating Company BEAR Scotland has successfully completed the initial works required to repair scour damage to the foundations of Westwater Bridge on the A702, south of West Linton.
Concrete was poured to infill the void below the foundations last Friday and has now gained sufficient strength to have restored the structure to its previous load carrying capacity.
A temporary 7.5t weight limit had been placed on the bridge as a safety precaution earlier this month. This restriction is no longer in force.
Further works are required over the next two weeks to place rock material that will temporarily protect the structure and river banks until BEAR Scotland returns to site later this year to undertake permanent river diversion, scour protection, masonry repair and safety barrier improvement works, outside of the most environmentally sensitive periods for the watercourse running through the structure.
Traffic on the bridge will continue to be restricted to a single lane controlled by temporary traffic lights until 10 February for the safety of motorists while site vehicles deliver this rock material. These traffic lights have been in place since 4 January with no significant delays caused to journey times.
Chris Tracey, BEAR Scotland’s South East Unit Bridges Manager, said: “We are pleased to have completed the challenging task of repairing the significant scour damage caused to this structure and to have removed the structural concerns associated with this so quickly.
“We thank road users and residents for their patience and understanding during this period, particularly when the road had to be fully closed for a few hours to allow concrete to be pumped down to the foundations from road level.”
Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead before setting out by checking the Traffic Scotland website www.traffic.gov.scot for up-to-date travel information.
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