![\"Spey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/spey-viaduct-collapse-credit-moray-council.jpg\" "\\"Spey")
Spey viaduct collapse (credit: Moray Council)<\/p>\nThe 350ft Spey Viaduct near Garmouth, which forms part of the Speyside Way and National Cycle Network, collapsed this weekend after fast-moving water eroded its foundations.<\/p>\n
Moray Council said the collapse appears to be caused by scour, a process in which river flow removes material from around bridge piers, after the river\u2019s flow path changed and increased pressure on the structure.<\/p>\n
The council confirmed there was no evidence of scour during the bridge\u2019s last specialist inspection in 2023.<\/p>\n
The 19th-century bridge has been popular with walkers and cyclists after the railway line closed in the 1960s.\u00a0Cyclists will now face a nine-mile detour on local roads.<\/p>\n
Spey viaduct collapse (credit: Moray Council)<\/p>\n
Councillor Macrae, who represents the local Fochabers and Lhanbryde ward, told BBC Scotland News<\/a> that he felt a \u201cstate of shock\u201d at what had happened.<\/p>\n The councillor, who is also chairman of Moray Council\u2019s economic development and infrastructure services committee, said,\u00a0“I think the important thing at the minute is to assess the damage that has been done, we need a plan for how we remove the two deck sections that are now in the river,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n “And then look to investigate the rest of the structure of the bridge.<\/p>\n “I wouldn’t even like to guesstimate a figure to repair the bridge, let alone replace the bridge if necessary. In the current financial climate, it’s going to be nigh on impossible,” he said.<\/p>\n “I would hope national government, if anything, would step in here because it’s a project way beyond the means of the local authority and the constrained budgets we have at this time.”<\/p>\n >\u00a0Making our way around the National Cycle Network (and why it\u2019s really all about the people you meet) with Laura Laker + Is active travel in Britain heading in the wrong direction?<\/a><\/p>\n Timmy Mallett, TV presenter and artist, said on Facebook<\/a>, \u201cI loved cycling across this fabulous historic iron girder bridge over the River Spey in Moray on my circumnavigation of Britain. It\u2019s one of the highlights of the 5000-mile ride.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease restore this national treasure!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Roddy Robertson, the chair of Garmouth and Kingston Community Association, said that there had been concerns over the state of the bridge for decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said, \u201cOne of our fears was that it would get to this position that we are in today, that the bridge would become unsafe, it would be too expensive to fix, and we would lose that bridge.<\/p>\n “So it’s extremely frustrating to see the bridge lost when it possibly could have been saved. Who knows, we won’t know that, that’s hindsight now, I suppose.<\/p>\n “The community is absolutely devastated.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Spey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/credit-wobbly-cyclist.jpg\" "\\"Spey")
Spey Viaduct collapse (credit: The Wobbly Cyclist \/ Facebook)<\/p>\n