Lossiemouth's East Beach Bridge Opened

On Tuesday 31 May, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon MSP, opened the new £1.8 million Lossiemouth East Beach bridge.

A popular beach in Moray Speyside, Lossiemouth's East Beach, is one again accessible to locals and visitors after the new bridge connecting the beach to the Esplanade has been opened.

In July 2019, the old bridge was closed due to safety concerns and there has been limited access to the East Beach for the past three years.

The new bridge is sited off the Esplanade, where an original bridge was situated prior to the 1919 construction of the old wooden structure. The old bridge is due to be removed in coming weeks, and details of this will be finalised in the coming weeks.

The new bridge, designed and constructed by Beaver Bridges, spans approximately 75 metres in length in an arched form. A 3.5 metre wide footway with decking boards made of wood effect composite materials join 1.4 metre high parapets.

The steelwork is finished in fluoropolymer coating and sit atop pile driven columns and connected into ramps built either side. Rock armour surrounds the entry points to the bridge. New footpaths to access the bridge have been installed and the existing ones on the Esplanade side upgraded.

Bollards to prevent vehicular access are at the end of the bridge and the new bridge supports buggies and beach wheelchairs, making access to the popular beauty spot more accessible than ever before.