After years of anticipation, construction is poised to begin within days on the new East Beach bridge in Lossiemouth.
The Moray community has been cut-off from its golden sands for nearly three years after the old wooden crossing was closed due to safety concerns.
Now contractors Beaver Bridges have confirmed the new landmark bridge for Lossiemouth will be in place within a week – and the first beach-goers could be crossing within a month.
When will bridge construction take place?
Construction on sections of the new Lossiemouth bridge has been done at Beaver Bridges’s factory in Shrewsbury.
The crossing has been assembled in four separate sections and will be transported to Moray separately as part of the £1.8million project.
The first of the truckloads is due to arrive in Lossiemouth on Friday afternoon.
A massive crane, large enough to reach across the River Lossie, will be set up next to where the bridge will be built on Sunday.
Specialist construction crews will then delicately lift one section of the bridge into position each day on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Clifton Road on the waterfront will be closed from Friday while the work is done.
Lossiemouth’s wait for new bridge
The old East Beach bridge in Lossiemouth has been sealed off since it buckled under the weight of sun-seekers in summer 2019.
The closure devastated the community with the loss of access to the sands estimated to be worth £1.5million to the town’s economy.
Initially local campaigners launched fundraising efforts in an attempt to pay for the new bridge themselves.
However, due to the crossing’s local significance, the Scottish Government agreed to fund the project.
Moray Council has agreed to take on the maintenance of the new Lossiemouth bridge when construction is complete.