by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR
A second nationally important road bridge at an iconic Borders location is in urgent need of restoration with an initial phase of masonry repairs likely to cost the local council around £100,000.
Concerns over the current condition of Old Drygrange Bridge, which spans the Tweed near Melrose follow the closure several years ago of another A-listed structure, the Kalemouth suspension bridge over the River Teviot between Jedburgh and Kelso.
An extensive project to replace the deficient timbers on the Kalemouth bridge is estimated at £1.1 million. The work will not commence until Scottish Borders Council learns whether its applications for grant aid have been successful.
The Drygrange structure is currently the subject of a planning application by the council for listed building consent to restore some of the stonework.
According to a report prepared by council bridges staff: "Drygrange Old Bridge carried the A68 trunk road traffic until 1974 when it was bypassed by a prefabricated box-girder bridge by Sir Alexander Gibb and Partners. A short distance upstream stands the towering, 126ft high Leaderfoot Railway Viaduct of 1865. Together, these three intervisible bridges reflect changing approaches to bridge engineering over a two century period. Old Drygrange Bridge is sometimes referred to as the ‘Fly Boat’ bridge in reference to an earlier ferry crossing at Leaderfoot."
Alexander Stevens, the designer of the Drygrange bridge, saw his plans completed in 1778.
According to the listing: " Elegantly proportioned, the crown of its broad central arch is less than 3ft thick. Longitudinal cavities within each spandrel are designed to reduce the weight of the structure. The use of prow-like cutwaters was also very new to Britain in 1780 and this is one of the first examples.
"The recessed roundels within the spandrels with carved urn ornaments provide additional character. The dentilled string course marks the level of the original roadway which was raised toward the ends at a later date to make the carriageway more level. The bridge remains an outstanding example of late 18th century bridge engineering."
However, recent inspection reports on the condition of the masonry show it in a less than outstanding light.
One of the papers in support of the planning application states: "The bridge stonework is in a deteriorating condition. There are separation cracks to the arch barrels behind the voussoirs, water ingress in areas, damaged / cracked voussoirs, cracked / loose / delaminated stonework to the spandrels, loss of rendering, vegetation growing from the spandrels and areas of weathered stone, particularly in areas where cement pointing is evident.
"The curved section of the south-west corner of the bridge where the bridge widens is in particularly poor condition with the stonework being heavily cracked, fractured, loose and voided and is now in need of intervention from a safety perspective and to prevent the current defects manifesting into a more considerable issue."
A council spokesman told us: " The current scheme will see a small area of stonework on the south-west corner of the bridge repaired. This isolated area of stone repair will be funded by SBC and the associated costs are, as yet, unknown but likely to be circa £100k."
As previously reported here, the local community in the vicinity of Kalemouth Bridge, the creation of naval captain Sir Samuel Brown in 1830, has been concerned over the state of the 180-ft. long structure for some time. It was closed to road traffic in August 2020, and remains shut to this day.
When asked about the latest situation regarding Kalemouth, the council said: "SBC continues to progress plans for the timber deck replacement of Kalemouth Suspension Bridge. Applications are being made for external funding from Historic Environment Scotland and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help with the total estimated £1.1M costs for this project, however, the success of these applications will not be known for some time."