Historic Stirling bridge to reopen after nine months of £1.2m restoration works
The overpass - which sits on the B8034, over the River Forth, between Port of Menteith and Arnprior, in Stirling - saw a £1.2million repair project begin, with work originally scheduled to be complete by mid-March.
The historic Cardross Bridge is set to reopen next week after a nine-month-long restoration effort.
Restoration works on the 250-year-old category B-listed structure began last September, with an initial completion date set for mid-March, but a series of setbacks has kept the bridge closed.
Stirling Council has now confirmed that the bridge, which spans the River Forth on the B8034 between Port of Menteith and Arnprior, is expected to be accessible again next week following a £1.2million repair project.
Motorists have been contending with a 12-mile diversion since the closure, which will persist until the works are finalised and the route re-opens.
The B8034 has been fully closed since September, with an alternative route via Thornhill in operation.
A council spokesperson this week said: "Based on the latest information from the contractor working on the bridge, it is expected to reopen next week (week commencing June 16).
"We will provide another update to the local community tomorrow (11 June) on this following the completion of some critical activities at the site.
"Once again, we would like to thank all local residents and businesses for their patience and understanding during these essential works and we continue to work with the contractor to re-open the bridge at the earliest opportunity."
Stirling Council, with the guidance of a NatureScot, sanctioned a specialist ecologist to oversee the repairs.
The original March completion date was postponed until May. After additional repair works were identified during excavation works, the repair was extended again in to mid-June.
In September last year, a Stirling Council spokesperson said that the local community would be fully informed on progress with regular updates and confirmed that "regular engagement sessions" would be held throughout the work.
Additionally, the spokesperson said: "We would like to thank all local residents and businesses for their patience and understanding during these essential works."
This conservation effort stems from Stirling Council's hefty £6.6m investment into improving its road network.
It is one of 72 projects taking place across the council area as part of its commitment to maintain and upgrade its road and footway network.
During the works, contractors have removed and rebuilt the bridge walls and undertook a full repointing of the stone using traditional materials. Cracks have also been repaired, with works to protect the bridge from river erosion, as well as the installation of a new bridge deck.
Once refurbishment is complete, the bridge will enforce a maximum load capacity of 10 tonnes.
The closure of the key road has caused disruption for residents in both Port of Menteith and Arnprior, as well as businesses along the route.
This includes holiday cottages, cabins and celebrity TV chef Nick Nairn's restaurant, Nick's at Port of Menteith.
The bridge was originally constructed in 1774 using funds from forfeited lands.
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