Reconstructions of a road destroyed by floodwater has divided opinion in the community through which it runs.
While many in and around Dura Den are anxious to see the road reopen two years after the devastating flood which also struck several houses, some prefer the absence of traffic in the picturesque hamlet and want the route to remain closed.
Before part of the C45 between Dairsie and Pitscottie collapsed in October 2012, motorists, including commuters to Dundee, used it as a rat run.
The rerouting of traffic has made the Den a more peaceful place to live and has allowed walkers, cyclists and horseriders to enjoy its scenery, nature and wildlife.
Fife Council is about to embark on an £800,000 repair of the road, which is expected to begin early next month and take several months.
It is understood that most residents want the work undertaken but Sarah Duncan, of Pitscottie, is among a significant number who don’t.
She said: “I’m really unhappy about the road reopening because we now have a community there is a linkage between us, Kemback and Dura Den.
“People walk up and down there regularly and we have become a far more sociable community.
“We keep reading about budget cuts and I feel that £800,000 is an awful lot of money to spend when there hasn’t been a lot of pressure from the local community to reopen the road.”
Sarah lives around half a mile from the damaged section with husband Eric and their eight-year-old twins and said: “Our lives have become better.
“We go for walks as a family and we can cycle to the playing field at Kemback.
* Photo gallery: Dura Den devastated by flooding (October 2013)
“That’s impossible with the road open there are no pavements.
“My husband works in Dundee so has had to change his route to work but he is quite happy to drive for an extra five or 10 minutes to benefit from the road being closed.”
Kemback resident Simon Weller suggested that the money being invested by the council would be better spent improving the Q10 through Kemback Bridge, which has been used as a diversion.
He said: “It was a rat run when it was open. Everyone raced through the Den to get to Dundee. It’s quite a beauty spot and people have been using the road for walking, cycling and riding horses.
“The advantage of having the Den shut outweighs the convenience of having an extra road. It’s been quite a blessing for the people living in the Den as it’s nice and quiet and they don’t have cars rushing past their houses.
“It’s going to cost an enormous amount of money to reinstate the road but people could live with it being shut. If they spent the money on improving the Q10 that would take a lot of the heat out of the situation.”
Barry Heathcote, of Dura Den, said he would like to see the road remain closed but was resigned to traffic returning.
He said: “It is generally accepted that this work is going to go ahead.”
At a community council meeting he said the majority of people indicated they wanted the road rebuilt.
Fife Council network management service manager Angus Carmichael said: “We know some of the community in Dura Den have been talking unofficially about wanting to keep the road closed but we’re legally bound to reopen a road once repairs have been carried out under the Roads Scotland Act.
“We also need to give people travelling on Fife’s roads as many route options as possible through all of our communities.
“This project is due to start in early December and the retaining wall should be rebuilt by the summer. The next phase will move on to new drainage and reinstating the road and, all going well, the works should be finished later next year.”