Work to demolish a fire-ravaged hotel and re-open a road in Macduff that was forced to close after the blaze continued yesterday.
Shore Street had previously re-opened to single lane traffic ahead of schedule last week, but traffic management measures were still in place.
The street was closed off when the Highland Haven Hotel was deemed unsafe by structural engineers last month. A midnight fire, which required more than 70 firefighters to tackle, destroyed the building.
Since then traders in the town have feared that delays in re-opening the road to traffic would force them to lose business and raised concerns over job security in the lead up to Christmas.
But local councillor Mark Findlater is confident that the works will be completed on schedule.
He said last night: “We’re very close to completion by the looks of it.
“The earth that they’ve moved in so that the digger can come up and can grab the building is all gone. The only thing that’s left now is the extension. It’s all been done, just about.
“All we’ve got to do now is recoup the money back from the owner of the Highland Haven and figure out what we’re going to do next with it.”
Aberdeenshire councillors agreed to foot the bill for the demolition of the structure when a report revealed that the owner’s insurance policy would not cover the cost of the necessary works.
Under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003, the money spent on the work can ultimately be recovered from the owner.
Demolition of the hotel is expected to be completed by Wednesday, December 10, with the road reopening to two-way traffic by December 12.