A scenic Mearns road, closed for several years due to safety concerns, could be re-opened after a meeting next week.
Bervie Braes in Stonehaven has been recommended for light traffic access, after the road’s disposal was examined. Local authority officials looked at eight options amid concerns from residents, in the wake of landslips.
Meanwhile, the engineer appointed to alleviate flooding in the Mearns said she is looking forward to another challenge in the area.
The Kincardine and Mearns area committee will be told next Thursday it is feasible to make the road one-way downhill with a weight restriction of three tonnes and a 20mph speed limit.
The road would only open for a few months and a system to trigger its closure in particularly wet conditions would also need to be installed.
The community has voiced that this link is vital in terms of the area’s economy, particularly the tourist offering worth £9 million a year, according to a report last month.
Dunnottar Castle is a major tourist attraction in the area and the local business community feel that the direct link, down the Bervie Braes road, provides a valuable opportunity to draw more visitors into the town.
A report by infrastructure services director Stephen Archer will go before members of the committee on Thursday.
The firm Jacobs was commissioned to report on the residual risk of slope instability after work to make the upper slopes safe and of the remaining non-stabilised sections of the lower slopes.
Mr Archer states: “It has been anticipated the road would reopen to pedestrians and cyclists due to remaining risk, but further assessment work has been undertaken to understand the implications of reopening the road to ‘light vehicular traffic’ in a downhill direction only.
“Over the last 12 months or so, there have been eight slips on the upper slope.
“While these have been of varying sizes, none of the debris flows extended significantly beyond the edge of the carriageway. However, they do confirm the instability of the upper slope.”
The estimated costs of the various alternatives to be discussed are:
* Earthworks regrading £1.9m.
* Catch fence £1.85m.
* Remote monitoring system with barrier £250,000.
* Modular barrier £300,000.
* Permanent “part-time” prohibition of driving £100,000.
* Restrict access and prohibition of driving £50,000.
* Reopen road £100,000.
* Part-time prohibition of driving and modular barriers £300,000.
Rachel Kennedy has been appointed as the area’s flooding engineer as Aberdeenshire Council continues the process of developing a major scheme in Stonehaven.
She expects to bring others forward to address problems at other sites as it works through the development of Local Flood Risk Management Plans.
Ms Kennedy (38) was a principal engineer within the council’s transportation section, working on policy development.
She said: “I’m really looking forward to meeting and working with communities to build on the positive work already achieved.
“Through effective project management we will ensure that a package of both long and short-term measures will be identified and implemented as soon as practicable.”
Stonehaven councillor Peter Bellarby has welcomed the appointment.
He said: “Those affected by the flooding in Stonehaven in December last year had a dreadful experience.
“We need to make progress as quickly as we can so that they don’t have that experience again.”