Perth and Kinross Council has said that repairs to the damaged bridge at Bridge of Cally will be “completed as soon as possible” – although has been unable to confirm a timescale for the work.
Heavy rain and flooding caused part of the picturesque east Perthshire bridge to collapse on Sunday, October 31, when a large section of one of the listed structure’s parapets washed away.
The drainage vents on the bridge are thought to have been blocked by debris brought down by the heavy rain, causing large puddles to form on the bridge and the water level to rise up the sides of the parapets.
The bridge on the A93 forms part of a key trunk road and was subsequently closed for two days while the damage was assessed and temporary safety measures put in place.
Blairgowrie and Glens Conservative councillor Bob Brawn lives in Bridge of Cally and runs the local Post Office, which is close to the damaged bridge, with his wife Helen.
Speaking at recent meeting of Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Council, held last week in the Adult Resource Centre on Jessie Street, Cllr Brawn raised concerns that it might not be possible to fix the bridge.
He said: “A car tried to get across the bridge and through the water but stalled.
“Fortunately the people got out but I’ve no idea how. As far as I understand it, there was about eight tonnes of pressure from the water there.
“The engineers have suggested that the car set up a pressure wave which then damaged the structure.”
He added: “We don’t know who is going to pay to fix it and we’re not even sure at this stage how it can be fixed.
“It has to be built as close to the original structure as possible but most of the stonework is under water now.”
A spokesperson for PKC said: “An engineer inspected the Bridge of Cally as a priority and repairs to the spandrel wall and parapet will be completed as soon as possible.
“However, it is still too early to say when these repairs will be able to take place as we will have to procure a contractor and wait for the right conditions to effect repairs.
“We will also look to improve drainage when the repairs are carried out.
“The funding for these works will be determined when more information about costs is available.
“There is no way to determine the actual cause of the collapse but the bridge is currently open to traffic with a three-way traffic management system in place.”
