Old A9 Bridge closed over collapse onto Highland Mainline fears

[haggishunter]

The old route of the A9 between the Carrbridge junction and Slochd Summit has been closed by the Highland Council after engineers determined it was at imminent risk of collapsing onto the Highland Mainline without warning! Supposedly the police sent full size articulated HGVs over it during a road closure for an accident on this section of the A9 earlier this autumn which appears to have been the final straw for this bridge.

https://www.strathspey-herald.co.uk...sed-as-it-was-in-danger-of-collapsing-292685/

Highland Council has said it had to make an emergency closure of a road bridge at the Slochd as continued use would have put it at high risk of collapsing without warning onto the Highland main railway line with potentially tragic consequences.

The blocks were installed at either end of the crossing after a traffic survey revealed the structure had been considerably weakened by significant numbers of vehicles in excess of the three tonne weight limit using the bridge.

It's an interesting bridge because it has the A9 viaduct above and the railway below. This could have implications for the A9 dualling, as the plan was to only have a left in left out junction at Slochd village with Southbound egress and Southbound access into Slochd from the A9 via the now closed road bridge.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@57.2...4!1sgTALwLP4V9DFSbn6rkIK1g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

[IslandDweller]

This would not be the first time where Police Scotland have set up diversions without thinking things through. I've seen them diverting traffic onto the shore road between Arrochar and Garelochhead - a road that has huge signs on it saying "unsuitable for HGVs". The road is almost single track in places and not wide enough for two HGVs to pass. Yet when the A83 along Loch Lomond has closed they've diverted trucks onto the shore road - which immediately becomes blocked as trucks can't pass each other.

 

[Stathern Jc]

That's a very informative article in The Strathy. There have been a number of bad accidents on the A9 this summer.
The quote from Police Scotland was interesting, basically telling us that any HGVs travelling over a road with a 3 Tonne limit had sneaked through before they got there. I wonder if the Highland Council's traffic survey data would support that???

It will be a pity if that road is permanently closed to vehicles. Very scenic, and as #LlangsideLlama says the alignment of the bridges has a very distinct character. Good spots for photos along there too.

 

[Ediswan]

That's a very informative article in The Strathy.

I noticed that, far more thorough than what you get from the big 'local' news groups.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I noticed that, far more thorough than what you get from the big 'local' news groups.

Indeed. The "Lincolnite" yesterday showed footage of the "Flying Scotsman" passing through Lincoln. Except it sounded like it had an extra cylinder, but was missing its rear pony truck, and was sporting a GWR type cast number plate. Thery later "corrected" it to the "Great Western". It was actually Clun Castle

 

[D6130]

What effect has this had on the Highland Main Line? Has it had to be closed in case the bridge collapses onto a train?

 

[Ex-controller]

What effect has this had on the Highland Main Line? Has it had to be closed in case the bridge collapses onto a train?

No, which suggests that the risk of collapse has been lessened somewhat by taking the road traffic away.