A939 Gairnshiel Bridge replacement

[orudge]

I seem to have missed the news that a new bridge is to be constructed on the A939 to replace the current Gairnshiel Bridge, which has been damaged by heavy and long vehicles on a number of occasions.

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.

[IanRB]

That's aways been one of my 'waypoints' driving into the Highlands. Having to drive over the crest blind maybe more excitment that you should experience on a 21st century road though.

[c2R]

Thanks for the heads up, Owen, I've incorporated additional detail into the wiki page.

[KeithW]

Its amazing how many of those old bridges are still in use, Wades Bridge at Aberfeldy is one of my favourites.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.62131 ... 6656?hl=en

[Ruperts Trooper]

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.

[jackal]

The new bridge is quite fancy:

[Herned]

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

[Euan]

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.

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.

[Burns]

I'll miss it. One of the many highlights of the A939.

[WHBM]

I see from the links that the planning officer managing this case is one Stephanie WADE.

Any relation, one wonders ...

[Glen]

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

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.
Suggesting a flow should have priority for something as arbitrary as which way the road numbers go is frankly silly.

[Alderpoint]

Suggesting a flow should have priority for something as arbitrary as which way the road numbers go is frankly silly.

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.

[Nwallace]

Oh... I'm running the snow roads audax this summer, better check this out in the PC.

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[Ruperts Trooper]

Oh... I'm running the snow roads audax this summer, better check this out in the PC.

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I'm planning to drive the Snow Roads in March, I'll give an update then.

[Herned]

Suggesting a flow should have priority for something as arbitrary as which way the road numbers go is frankly silly.

Who suggested that?

[Sulzer:1999]

This is a regular commuter route for me heading over to Strathspey. I’d imagine that this must be the biggest works on the Bridge of Gairn-Corgarff section since sections were widened in the ‘70’s.
That said, there are still a few sections that are single track.

Murray Duncan

[Nwallace]

The roads from corgaff to Ballater are known 's BH1 and BH2, it shouldn't take much imagination to figure out what the B stand for and why!

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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[owen b]

I went this way a couple of times last week. Work has started on the earthworks on the south bank of the river, and the construction compound is also on the south side of the river.

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.

[Glen]

Some photos of the construction work so far.

[orudge]

https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/pi ... ce-3881920

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?