Bridge of Dun reopens following Storm Babet rebuild

The A-listed Bridge of Dun, near Montrose, dates back to the 18th century, a design by architect Alexander Stevens to carry a minor road over the River South Esk. The bridge was and continues to be a key link for local communities.

In October 2023, during Storm Babet, along with vast areas of Angus, the bridge was badly damaged with a partial collapse of the south relief arch and significant scour to the north relief arch. Emergency underpinning was undertaken immediately to protect the north arch, however the bridge would remain closed due to the collapsed south arch and while emergency work was carried out in other areas of Angus and our Roads and Transportation Team battled three further large scale storms in December 2023 and January 2024.

By March 2024, after careful consideration, the partially collapsed sections of the bridge were laser scanned then carefully taken down prior to rebuild work beginning. The rebuild work was funded by the Bellwin Scheme.

The contractor JML Contracts based in Perthshire was appointed to carry out extensive work to sympathetically restore the bridge to its original appearance, reusing as much of the original stone as possible.  Following detailed ground investigation, significant works were undertaken to ensure that the rebuilt arch would have a solid foundation and also allowed the eastern face of the arch to be retained.   

The 240 year old bridge finally reopened in early September of this year and is a true credit to the work of our excellent Roads and Transportation Team, council officers and JML Contracts.

Communities convenor, Councillor Tommy Stewart said: “I welcome the reopening of the Bridge of Dun following extensive rebuild work to damage which occurred as a result of Storm Babet.

“The bridge is a lifeline for many local people and its closure has not been without inconvenience for many. The work of the council officers and contractor has been a huge undertaken and I am very impressed with the final rebuild.”