TWO footbridges in the same locations as before are the preferred options of the Annan The Tale of Two Bridges group.
They have been working with Amey and Dumfries and Galloway on the best ways of replacing the Cuthbertson and Jubilee bridges.
And a council spokesperson this week said: “The consensus of the ATOTB group was to replace the two footbridges. This would be dependent on future funding and would likely require a phased approach.
“The preferred locations were broadly around the existing locations of the footbridges. Consideration was given to some alternative locations based on the initial work undertaken by Amey.
“This will be extended out to public consultation and engagement in the coming weeks.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council has commissioned a feasibility study into the replacement options and as part of that, the workshop session ws held with the ATOTB group.
At that, they were given information on flood zone impact, buildability, structural type, non-motorised user access, and indicative cost. Design standards and their use alongside the ways in which varying design criteria may impact on overall budget for the scheme was also highlighted.
Since then work has been going on to further develop the design parameters – although officials stressed that no final decisions have been made about any future structures.
They are also preparing to hold a public consultation in Annan, expected to be this summer.
Commening on progress so far, Councillor Ian Blake, chair of the communities committee, said: “Dumfries and Galloway Council along with the Scottish Government have already pledged a total of £75,000 to support the community group, Annan A Tale of Two Bridges, to bring about a new crossing over the River Annan. The next stage is to consult the wider community and determine the number and location of the bridges, and we would like to thank members of the public for their patience and understanding during this process.”
