A Hawick footbridge will be closed for six months from next week

The Victoria Bridge, a footbridge built in 1991 which crosses the Teviot between Bath Street and Teviot Crescent, will be closed from Monday, February 15.

It will not reopen again until Monday, August 23, as work begins to construct a new river crossing .

Diversion routes will be available via North Bridge Street or the James Thomson Bridge.

The flood scheme will also incorporate replacement of the town’s Lawson and Mansfield footbridges, both of which are to have similar designs to those of the Victoria structure in the Little Haugh.

Hawick and Denholm councillor Stuart Marshall acknowledges closure will cause townsfolk inconvenience.

But he believes the work demonstrates that the long-awaited flood defence scheme is moving at a pace.

He said: "I think the vast majority of townsfolk understand why they are being inconvenienced at this time. I’m delighted that this massive project is still very much on track. I’m particularly pleased with the progress being made along the route of Mansfield Road and very impressed too with the high quality workmanship in constructing the wall at the Common Haugh area of the town. It’s quite breathtaking when you see what’s already been achieved in terms of construction and I know the residents living along the Mansfield Road route are also thrilled that light is now visible at what was for years a very dark tunnel.”