New bridges are being swung into place at flood-hit Alyth.
The two modern crossings will replace historic structures which were swept away during freak storms in 2015.
The £174,000 project reached a milestone this week with the arrival of a new bridge linking the town square with homes and businesses on Commercial Street.
Council leader Ian Miller, who is also a local councillor, said the bridges have been built to a higher level to avoid damming.
The new crossings have been designed to be fully accessible for wheelchair users. They are expected to be completed in about three weeks’ time, when all handrails have been fitted.
A one-in-200 year flood devastated the town in July 2015, forcing dozens of people out of their homes and temporary closing shops and cafes.
In January 2016, locals were presented with a series of options for bridge repairs as part of a wider redevelopment of the town centre.
The majority of residents initially voted to have all three bridges restored, but after further investigation Perth and Kinross Council found that replacing all bridges would lead to less parking.
A second vote was carried out and 204 people opted to retain just two crossings, with 186 voting for three.
Local councillor Dennis Melloy, who said the result came as a surprise, has welcomed the new structures but said it was a shame all three bridges weren’t being replaced.
He said: “I have only had a positive reaction from residents and the business community since the bridges went in on Sunday.
“When I first saw the drawings I thought they would be too large and bulky for the Alyth burn. But on seeing them now in place, I am delighted with them.
“My only regret was that we did not replace the third bridge, which was destroyed in the floods, as a gap now appears where the third one lay, unfortunately the vote for only two won the day, albeit only by a small margin.”
He added: “I would like to congratulate the council’s structures and flooding team for the sympathetic design of the bridges.
“The reason the bridges are a bit higher than the previous ones was to stop any trees and debris getting caught in the bridges, as had happened previously.
“The steps to the bridges have still to be finished off and hand rails fitted, this should take approximately two to three weeks to complete, with as little disruption as possible to everyone.”
