A replacement bridge will be built to ease pressure on a historic Donside structure.
Gairnshiel Bridge, on the A939 Ballater to Tomintoul road, has been beset with problems for years as heavy goods vehicles continue to ignore the 18-tonne weight limit.
The northern end of the 18th Century bridge also lies at the end of a winding hill, meaning motorists sometimes misjudge on entering and collide with the structure.
On Monday the Press and Journal revealed Moray MSP Richard Lochhead and the Aboyne, Upper Deeside & Donside councillor Geva Blackett had teamed up to push for a long-term solution.
Now Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed it will build a new bridge over the River Gairn, to the east of the existing structure which is to remain as a tourist attraction.
Mrs Blackett has been campaigning for a new bridge for a number of years.
She said: “The new bridge will allow heavy vehicles across and thus protect the local economy while allowing the old bridge to have a stately retirement and become a visitor attraction in its own right.”
Mr Lochhead had backed Ms Blackett’s calls because of the impact the closure was having on access to and from Speyside.
He said: “The A939 is a vital route for local residents and businesses in Tomintoul and Upper Speyside with closures and disruption in recent years causing many problems for my constituents.
“I’m really pleased that Aberdeenshire Council has heeded the concerns of residents in Aberdeenshire and Moray and will now begin developing plans for a new bridge.”
It is hoped the new bridge will be built in 2021, with renovation work on the old structure to come the year after.