A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
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A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
The old bridge will be retained for non-motorised users. I’ll miss driving over the hump! A new bridge is long overdue, though.
News article on work
Plans - PDFs labelled ‘item 5’
It looks like there’ll be another TOTSO on the A939 as a result of these plans, presumably rather than introducing a 90-degree bend with a junction to the B976.
http://www.owenrudge.net/
From the SABRE Wiki: Gairnshiel Bridge :
The bridge over the River Gairn at Gairnshiel Lodge was constructed as part of the Military Road from Braemar to Fort George, Inverness, built by Major Caulfeild in 1753. It is a typical, and pretty original looking example of the bridges constructed by Caulfeild on the military roads that criss-crossed the Highlands. The bridge is a very basic hump-backed single arch span with no adornment or ornamentation. Then again, the remote setting of beautiful
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.62131 ... 6656?hl=en
- Ruperts Trooper
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
I would imagine that would be the case. The closure for tree-felling seems to only be in place for this week and afterwards traffic would continue to use the old bridge while the new one is being built in the cleared area.Ruperts Trooper wrote: ↑Tue Jan 11, 2022 08:59 The press release indicates a 25 mile diversion in place for a couple of weeks to clear forestry - does that mean the bridge will then be back in use until the replacement is open - the reason I ask is that I was planning to go through there from Braemar to Tomintoul in March 2022.
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
Any relation, one wonders ...
- Glen
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
It's a new road, so it isn't going to be built with substandard geometry just because there are hundred of examples which exist for historical reasons.Herned wrote: ↑Tue Jan 11, 2022 12:30 Very nice, but when did the nonsense of not giving priority around a corner start? There must be hundreds, if not thousands of junctions like that in the country. I don't even see how it is safer as if there is often nothing to give way to then regular users are going to stop looking, and then one day they won't notice that they need to give way. I know it has existed as a policy for a while but it defies common sense to me
Suggesting a flow should have priority for something as arbitrary as which way the road numbers go is frankly silly.
- Alderpoint
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
I can't imagine much traffic comes up the B979 then (currently) turn rights down the A939 (or the reverse) - it just doesn't make sense as a route. Surely the majority of the traffic from the south, either via the B979 or the A939 will head futher north on the A939. That said the traffic volumes must be so low that the extra expense of putting a decent curve on the A939 and then T-ing in the B-road isn't worth the additional marginal expense.
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
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- Ruperts Trooper
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
I'm planning to drive the Snow Roads in March, I'll give an update then.
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
That said, there are still a few sections that are single track.
Murray Duncan
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
One of my mates got a tad delayed crossing them when while riding the snow roads audax one February, considerably more snow fell than forecast, he was in contact with me and the organizer on and off through the day, we were bordering on phoning his Mrs when we got a message saying "made it to Braemar, more snow than expected, cairnwell now shut, in hostel" then the pandemic stopped him doing it every month of the year,the nutter.
The audax is a 300km from Kirrie, Cairn o mounth, echt, rhybie, oyne, cabrach, Dufftown, lecht, gairnshiel, cairnwell and Glen isla,so a bit more than the driving route, the good thing is it uses the "easy side" of all but cairn o mounth.
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
I was initially under the impression that the existing bridge was closed for many months based on this : https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/app ... x?id=22148 which states :
A939 Gairnshiel - Road closure
When: 19 April 2022 to 27 February 2023
Exact location: A939 / A944 Junction to: A93 / A939 Junction
Details: New Bridge Construction
However clicking on the diversion route pdf : https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/App ... %20map.pdf
it states "A939 Gairnsheil Closed 11/4/22 to 27/2/23 when signs are erected". Happily it turns out that the closures are only on a small number of days, at least so far. For anyone trying to get from the Ballater / Balmoral area to / from Cock Bridge and beyond it's a rather long diversion when Gairnshiel Bridge is closed.
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Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
Re: A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement
Beams lifted into place for new bridge.
“six sections of the existing A939 route between Torbeg and Gairnshiel Bridge were surveyed and a new alignment designed by Wills Bros to ensure the crane could safely navigate to the site” - I assume this means temporary clearance etc and not permanent improvements to the A939?
http://www.owenrudge.net/