HUNDREDS of “substandard” bridges on Scotland’s roads are in sore need of repair – with some partially collapsed.
Analysis by the RAC Foundation shows that at least 432 council-run bridges across the country were unable to carry the largest loads at the end of last year.
And a further 39 bridges managed by Transport Scotland were in a similar state of disrepair. The RAC Foundation said problems with even small structures could cause delays for drivers forced to take longer routes.
A substandard bridge means one unable to carry the heaviest vehicles, including lorries of up to 44 tonnes. Many of these will be subject to weight restrictions, while others could be under increased monitoring or managed decline.
The figures are based on responses by 30 of Scotland’s councils as well as the national transport body to Freedom of Information requests.
The council with the most substandard bridges was Aberdeenshire, at 77, which was six per cent of the 1346 bridges under its control. Meanwhile, four of Dundee’s 31 bridges were unable to carry full loads, which was the highest proportion at 13 per cent.
Nationally, there were also seven that had partially collapsed over the year, including two in Perth and Kinross, two in Stirling, and one each in Aberdeenshire, East Dunbartonshire and Fife.
Councils said they would ideally bring 369 substandard bridges back up to full capacity (based on 27 responses). But budget constraints mean they anticipate only 47 will have the necessary work carried out on them within the next five years.
Some 23 councils said it would cost at least £403.5million to complete the full maintenance backlog of all the 8575 bridges in their areas. Meanwhile, Transport Scotland said it would ideally return all of its 39 substandard bridges to full carrying capacity.
However, it plans to fix just eight within the next five years, and it also revealed it would cost £1.4billion to clear the backlog of maintenance on all of its 2612 bridges.
RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “With the threat of more severe weather events linked to climate change, this must be a worry for the overall resilience of our highway network.”
A spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities said the safety of road users was a priority for all councils. He said: “Wherever urgent maintenance is required, it will be done.
“However, financial constraints as well as a range of competing services are certainly starting to take their toll on routine work.”
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “The safety of drivers using our roads is our top priority and that is why the budget for maintenance of the trunk road network, including bridge maintenance, has increased from £65million in 2016-17 to £102million in 2021-22.
“There are no bridges on the Scottish Road Network out of use as a result of requiring repairs.”
