Moray Council to dip into reserves to repair damaged Pittendreich Bridge near Elgin
MORAY Council will dip into £80,000 of reserves to repair a damaged bridge near Elgin.
Pittendreich Bridge on the B9010 near Allaburn Farm suffered extensive damage after it was hit by a lorry late in the evening on May 13.
The bridge is still currently open to traffic but the width of it has been significantly reduced through the placement of safety barriers along the inside of the damaged parapet.
A report submitted before a meeting of Moray Council today stated that reducing the width increases the risk of further damage to the bridge.
If it suffered any more damage without being repaired then the bridge would have to be closed.
That would see a lengthy diversion introduced via Forres, forcing locals to travel around 25 miles out of their way.
Councillor Bridget Mustard (Conservative, Heldon and Laich) said that her 'heart sank' when she heard the news that the bridge had been damaged.
She added: "These bridges provide vital links for rural communities. Naturally, I fully support the recommendation that the council use its reserves to repair it."
The owner of the vehicle that hit the bridge identified themselves and discussions are underway regarding repair costs.
However, councillors agreed today to use £80,000 from the council's reserves to ensure that repairs can take place as quickly as possible.
The money will be returned to the council's reserves once the costs have been recovered from the vehicle owner.