Fordoun emergency bridge closure forced after house demolition

The damage is to a section of road just before the bridge

An emergency closure had to be carried out at an Aberdeenshire bridge after the demolition of a nearby house.

Contractors pulled down a retaining wall supporting a road by the bridge in Fordoun, just off the A90 on Tuesday, leaving the carriageway damaged.

Aberdeenshire Council said a one-way system was now in place to keep traffic away from the damaged section of road.

The road has been experiencing heavier traffic since the closure of a damaged bridge north of the village in July.

This week's damage in Fordoun is not to the bridge itself, but to a section just before it.

The council said planning and roads officials were now in discussions with the homeowner about how to repair the damage.

In the summer, the Abbeyton road-over-rail bridge, on the B966 just north of Fordoun, was shut.

Inspections found serious failings in the 170-year-old structure and it is to be demolished. Traffic in Fordoun has been heavier as a result.