Traffic may be using the new Montrose Bridge as early as September or October and a local charity is benefitting from progress.

DEBRA, which funds research into skin condition epidermolysis bullosa, is fronted nationally by local girl Adana Forsyth and the bridge has contributed over £5000 to the campaign.

Over £600 has been raised by selling lumps of the old bridge, £2.50 is added for every accident free day, with another £2.50 for every road accident free day on the temporary bridge, plus a £100 bonus every 100 days.

Over £2000 has also been raised from the sale of a DVD and video made of the demolition of the old bridge.

With many more days still to go and DVDs and videos still available for sale, the bridge’s contribution to DEBRA continues.

Balfour Beatty has also agreed for a second year to sponsor the world caber tossing championship at Montrose Highland Games on August 7.

With work 404 days into the project it is only 48 hours behind schedule and, with deck reinforcing started, it will soon be time for the concrete pouring.

“There is not a lot of concrete but it is over a wide surface area and it will be undertaken in three separate pours,” said project manager Keith Bowman.

“I hope traffic will be using the bridge by the end of September or early October.”

A wider pavement on the east side is to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

Before then all the public utilities will be transferred to the new crossing.

The bridge’s pronounced hump will also become less obvious once approaches incorporating stonework and railings from the suspension bridge—two bridges ago—are built up.