Locals are urged to be very careful at a popular crossing point in Lanarkshire after a badly damaged bridge had huge chunks fall into the river below.
Dog walkers in particular are being asked to ensure their animals are kept on leads for fear of them plunging from the Crags bridge in Strathaven, which now exposes a steep fall of up to 20ft.
South Lanarkshire Council announced emergency road closures at the area on Brownmuir and Haptoncraig Highway recently following the initial incident when the bridge was damaged on December 19.
A vehicle crashed into the stone structure, causing the bridge to break.
A temporary fence was put in place to protect locals from the dangerous ledge as the bridge, which is a popular access point used by many, remained open for pedestrians and cyclists.
However, this fence has now also ended up in the river below, alongside the broken bridge.
It's understood this happened either over the Christmas weekend or in the days immediately after.
One Strathaven local is warning others to be very careful at this area. Neil Arlott told Lanarkshire Live : "I phoned the roads department to say the barrier's been chucked in the river as well, and told police too.
"There's a lot of people that walk their dogs out in that area and off the lead, especially more so when the road's closed.
"My biggest fear is that a dog there starts sniffing about, stands on a loose bit and goes head first into the river.
"With all that wire mesh fence a dog could quite easily get stuck and fall and I fear people could fall too from trying to help their dog.
"I'd urge people to walk their dog on a lead that way if possible."
A council spokesman told us: "The Brownmuir and Haptoncraig Highway had to be temporarily closed at Hapton Craig (Powmillion) Bridge following a road traffic accident on Sunday, December 19 which caused extensive damage.
"The road was made safe for continued use by pedestrians and cyclists, with a signed temporary diversion put in place for vehicles.
"Plans were already being developed to strengthen and refurbish the bridge to allow previous vehicular weight restrictions to be removed.
"These and other repair options are now being examined with a view to works commencing in early 2022."
Speaking on the road crash which happened earlier this month, a Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of a bridge having been struck by a vehicle on the A726 near Strathaven around 11.35am on Sunday, 19 December.
“There were no reported injuries and South Lanarkshire Council were made aware to assess the structure.”
The original notice for the road closure stated that it would be reopened on January 9, however this is likely to take longer given the extent of the damage.
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