Crews keen to re-open Cupar’s Tarvit Bridge after months of work remain “at the mercy of the elements.”
The arterial bridge was closed in March as a £1.2 million project aimed at strengthening the structure got under way.
Work on the span which crosses the River Eden on the Pitscottie Road has been hit by several delays.
The project was initially due to be completed by late November, but Fife Council revealed it was running late and pencilled in a new completion date of Christmas Eve.
However, heavy snowfall further delayed work and the local authority now hopes to be able to fully open the bridge at the end of February.
However, The Courier understands at least one lane could be operational within a fortnight as part of a “phased reopening” of the carriageway.
With diversions still in place, the opening of a single traffic lane along with a temporary footway could even happen by the end of next week.
However, the council is warning that hard frosts such as the one experienced yesterday could scupper the plans.
Mike Loftus is lead officer in Fife Council’s structures asset management division. He confirmed yesterday that the project remained “totally dependent” on the weather.
The work is being complicated by the uncertainty over weather conditions, as “several clear days” of relatively benign temperatures are required if the latest phase of works are to be successful.
“We are hoping to start resurfacing the road as soon as possible,” he told The Courier. “However, we need several clear working days for this work.
“While we are ready to do the work, this type of job cannot be done if it is too cold and frosty. As such, we are at the mercy of the elements,” he added.
Mr Loftus still hopes a single lane will be opened within the coming weeks but admitted it was hard to be certain.
“The earliest it could open to one lane would be at the end of next week,” Mr Loftus said. “However, given changing conditions, there cannot be any guarantees.”
The original Tarvit Bridge was constructed more than 130 years ago.