Craigellachie bridge opened and Lossie bridge restricted

The lane restriction on the A941 Craigellachie Bridge has been lifted, allowing normal two-way traffic.

It has been opened with a temporary road surface on the southbound carriageway until concerns about maintaining proper social distancing for the workforce have been relaxed.

The removal of restriction will ensure better flow on this critical route to facilitate the transport of essential goods during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 

Once the current restrictions and social distancing requirements are no-longer required, the Contractor will return to remove the temporary surface and install the permanent surfacing. 

Due to the temporary surfacing and the absence of some road markings, the 30mph speed limit over the bridge will remain in force in the interim. 

The downstream footway also has a temporary surface, with pedestrians encouraged to use the completed upstream footway if they wish to walk over the bridge.

In another part of the county a weight restriction has been imposed on another bridge for the safety of road users.

Following a recent detailed inspection and load assessment of Arthur’s Bridge on the B9103 between Lossiemouth and the A96 near Lhanbryde, the maximum vehicle weight allowed across it is reduced from 26 tonnes to 7.5 tonnes.

This degradation has resulted from a combination of the effects of time, along with continued overloading of the bridge which is regularly used illegally by HGV traffic well above the permitted weight. 

The deterioration is at a critical location and has significantly weakened the bridge. 

 The defective joints are of a design which cannot readily be repaired and therefore the bridge deck will require complete replacement to permit a return to full traffic loading. There is no estimate of when this work is likely to be carried out.