Lossiemouth Bridge on track for April completion
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LOCALS and avid beach goers alike will finally regain access to Lossiemouth's East Beach with the completion of a new bridge in April.
The existing 100-year-old bridge was closed in 2019 amid safety concerns. That has denied the public access to the East Beach for nearly three years.
However, the contractors on the the project, Beaver Bridges, say they are on track to complete the new bridge by April and anticipate the new structure opening to the public in May.
Andy Limbert, Project Manager at Beaver Bridges, said: "It's going really well. We're on program to meet the installation date of April. We've had no issues.
"The new bridge is completely different. The old bridge is a timber structure but the new bridge is going to be a metal one. It will go slightly further round the river onto the harbour front.
"May should be when the public will be ready to use it. It will all be completed this year certainly.
"The public are very keen for it to be completed. That's the reason why we started it during months that aren't the bestt but the weather has been very kind so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we keep getting the lovely Lossiemouth weather so we can keep everything on track."
The £1.8 million development has garnered a lot of interest from the local community. And, after the Lossiemouth Community Development Trust set up a webcam overlooking the site, onlookers from further afield have been able to keep tabs on the project as well.
Rab Forbes, Chairman of Lossiemouth Community Development Trust's bridge committee, says they are "delighted" with the progress.
Mr Forbes added: "It has started to get a lot busier down there. Our webcam has proved to be very popular because people from wherever can sit and watch.
"I said at New Year that the webcam will show a dramatic change over the next four months.
"I think It's actually been so positive and smooth so far that everybody would expect some sort of delay and so far that hasn't been the case.
"All of a sudden, April doesn't seem that far away."
The Lossiemouth Community Development Trust has long campaigned to regain access to the East Beach. The group have praised Moray Council's management of the project as the new bridge edges closer to completion.
"Moray Council deserve credit for the way they've carried this project forward," Mr Forbes said.
"The development trust has always wanted to regain public access to the East Beach and for us the big thing will be that we will have people walking on the beach again in late spring or early summer."
A spokesperson for Moray Council added: "Progress on construction of the bridge is going well and we are on programme to complete the bridge in spring of this year. Pathworks are almost complete and we are part way through installing the piles. The fabrication of the bridge is due to start next week."
