A historic swing bridge in Aberdeenshire’s biggest town will be dismantled as part of a £49million harbour redevelopment.
Peterhead’s Queenie Bridge – which links the port’s north and south basins – will close on December 1 before contractors start removing the 62-year-old structure.
The span will be gone by the end of January, and the only access to the eastern half of the harbour will be along Alexandra Parade.
Peterhead Port Authority chief executive, Ian Laidlaw, has apologised for the disruption, but said the development was for “the greater good of the port and the town”.
He said: “There will be more traffic going down Alexandra Parade but in the analysis we have had it will be the same numbers as when the fish market was there.”
The Queenie Bridge opened in 1954 to connect Bridge Street and Greenhill Road. It replaced a swing bridge which had stood since 1850.
Mr Laidlaw added: “One of the quadrants of the bridge will now be salvaged and placed as a monument on Bridge Street to commemorate the structure.
“We do recognise that it’s a part of the industrial heritage of the area and we will keep a segment of it in recognition of its importance to the town.”
The removal of the crossing will allow larger vessels to moor in the Alexandra Basin, and part of the bridge could be converted into a smaller emergency access.
Work to deepen the north harbour has also started, with contractors beginning piling trials. The walls of the basin will be strengthened before the harbour is deepened as part of the overall revamp.
The full £49million scheme is scheduled to be complete by March 2018.
A new fish auction hall will be built as part of the project, increasing the sales space by 50%. Vessels will also be able to land their catches directly on to covered areas for sale.