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“historic Spey Viaduct has collapsed this morning”

(10 posts)

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  1. chdot
    Admin

    A section of the bridge descended into the river on Sunday morning, with officers cordoning off the area.

    The former railway bridge, which believed to be around 140 years old, is used by walkers and cyclists.

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/25696538.viaduct-collapses-river-spey-amid-weather-warnings/

    Posted 2 days ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

    Vid V informative

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1m87jlv97ro

    Posted 2 days ago #
  3. LaidBack
    Member

    Looked like a stone support column had been washed out? On working railway it would have been surveyed more I suppose. Exceptional weather now the norm.

    Posted 2 days ago #
  4. gembo
    Member

    The Spey is moving to the East and has weakened the 140 year old structure. Shame I cycled over it to great effect on way to Cullen

    Posted 1 day ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

    “I cycled over it to great effect”

    Perhaps you can ‘lead’ the campaign for a new bridge?!

    Clearly the bridge won’t be restored - difficult and v expensive.

    Apart from heritage/sentiment there is no need for something engineered to take the weight of a train.

    As it’s Council owned, presume there is no question of insurance?

    Question now is whether any Government body (or front organisation like ‘Sustrans’) will declare it to be vital transport/tourism infrastructure and promise to replace ASAP??

    Richard Lochhead, local MSP, (mentioned in BBC article) could be key - “Minister for Business and Employment” since 2023.

    There’s an election coming…

    Posted 1 day ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    Visible on StreetView

    https://maps.app.goo.gl/A5wMpFqGTZocz5HJ7

    There’s vehicle access to the key point so it’s not as inaccessible as it first appears.

    Posted 1 day ago #
  7. Arellcat
    Moderator

    The fallen spans are likely beyond saving and should be broken up and removed IMO. They can fairly easily be replaced with a Bailey bridge that will last for another few decades at least.

    The ground conditions will be more expensive to sort though, if a new pier is necessary.

    The question is whether the link across the river is necessary or a nice-to-have; it's a bit like trying to cross the River Ouse south of York: if you're cycling south of Naburn, it's a long way to go before you reach the next bridge.

    Posted 1 day ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    "Moray Council engineers have now assessed the Garmouth Viaduct and on initial inspection can confirm the collapse appears to be due to scour. At the time of the last scour report, by a specialist contractor in 2023, there was no evidence of scour. It appears that over the last year the river flow path has changed, which may have contributed to a change of impact on the piers. We're in the process of instructing a specialist engineer to undertake a more detailed inspection and assessment and hope that this can be progressed before Christmas or early in the new year.

    “In the immediate future the area around the structure will be made safe with clean-up works to avoid further damage with further detailed inspections necessary, by a specialist contractor, to determine any other works required. The longer-term future of the bridge will be considered in the new year after the initial clear up operation, with options presented to Councillors as soon as practicably possible. We’re well aware of the strength of feeling in the local community, and further afield, for this bridge and how well used it is by walkers and cyclists.

    https://newsroom.moray.gov.uk/news/garmouthspey-viaduct-update-15-december-2025

    Posted 1 day ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    “This is not a time to play a blame game, there are businesses and locals to whom this bridge is very important."

    Eagle added: "It will require a partnership approach and that means the participation of the Scottish Government which is the only organisation with the clout to deliver a solution."

    "There are other bridges, such as the Cloddach bridge at Elgin, and the Spey bridge at Cromdale, which are of serious concern too. We need to be far more serious about looking after our infrastructure so that we prevent incidents like this occurring in the future."

    https://archive.ph/2025.12.16-072950/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25700268.holyrood-urged-pay-repair-bill-collapsed-bridge/

    Posted 23 hours ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    Timmy Mallet, who became a household name as a children’s TV presenter in the 1980s and 1990s, described the bridge as a “national treasure” in the wake of its collapse.

    The entertainment star previously rode across the historic Garmouth Viaduct, which it is sometimes referred to as, in 2022 when he cycled almost 5,000 miles around the British Isles.

    https://www.scotsman.com/hays-way/early-inspection-reveals-potential-trigger-of-historic-spey-bridge-collapse-5444353

    Posted 10 hours ago #

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