Councillors will this week discuss plans to put an additional £1.5 million in funding towards emergency repairs to two crumbling rural bridges.
A special meeting of Stirling Council will hear proposals today (Thursday) to utilise the funds from the council’s reserves to carry out the urgent repairs of Branshogle Bridge, near Balfron, and Catter Burn Bridge, Croftamie, which are currently closed after becoming badly damaged.
The meeting will be broadcast live on Stirling Council’s YouTube channel at 2pm.
Branshogle Bridge on the B818 partially collapsed back in March and consultants for Stirling Council were left fearing that “a further collapse is likely”, resulting in a full closure.
Farmers and HGV drivers have been left facing a 19-mile diversion due to the closure, and residents living along nearby routes have reported increased traffic volumes due to the diversion.
Since the closure of the Branshogle Bridge, engineers have been working with stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, consultants and contractors to ascertain the most appropriate process to repair the bridge.
Stirling Council says that a contractor has been engaged with a tender returned. Some elements required to be repriced due to a change in specification, and this process is well underway. Further community engagement sessions are planned to provide updates.
Last month, the A809 road through Croftamie was shut from the B834 to the A811 after a section of wall and pavement at Catter Burn Bridge partially collapsed.
It’s understood the collapse occurred sometime between 4pm and 5pm on Thursday, September 30.
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Stirling Council has put a diversion route in place, via the B834 and A81 to Ballat Crossroads, with HGVs diverted via the B834 and A875 through Killearn and Balfron.
Engineers are currently assessing the extent of works required to be undertaken to repair the bridge, and community meetings are being arranged to discuss the works and the impact of the closures.
