Heavy vehicle ban for bridge damaged in downpours
BEAR Scotland- Heavy vehicles have been banned from a bridge on a key route through the Scottish Borders
- The site south of West Linton was shut for a time while safety checks were carried out
- More work still needs to be done to allow the bridge to reopen fully
- BEAR Scotland has apologised to drivers for any disruption caused
Heavy vehicles have been banned from crossing a bridge on a key route through the Borders after it was damaged during heavy downpours.
The Westwater Bridge on the A702 south of West Linton was closed for a time on 4 January for safety checks.
It has been restricted to a single lane and controlled by temporary traffic lights since then.
BEAR Scotland has now shut the bridge to vehicles weighing over 7.5 tonnes until further notice.
It said the move would not affect public transport.
A three-mile diversion has been put in place which it has been estimated should add less than 10 minutes to journey times.
Andy Thompson, BEAR Scotland's south east representative, said safety was its first priority and the "added precaution" came after looking at the bridge's foundations.
Work has been carried out to divert the river away from the damaged area and additional protection is being put in place.
"Daily inspections are being carried out and additional monitoring equipment has been put in place," said Mr Thompson.
"We’ve also begun construction of a new access road to the site.
“Further investigations are ongoing to inform design works for a permanent solution."
He said it was "too early to say" what that would be or how long it would take but pledged to keep road users and the community informed.
"We appreciate the disruption that the new weight limit will cause for some drivers, however safety has to come first and we are grateful for their patience and understanding," he said.