Historic Borders footbridge to undergo an overhaul

A planning application has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council for listed building consent to carry out repairs to the Teviot Viaduct Footbridge, near the villages of Roxburgh and Heiton.

The structure was removed from its bearings and taken to a repair facility in October last year and pedestrian access has since been diverted across the adjacent viaduct deck.

The structure, built in 1850, has been damaged by flooding as well as "general decay" and corrosion.

Refurbishment work to the footbridge on the Roxburgh Viaduct - often referred to as the Teviot Viaduct - will be carried out by Highways England.

It inherited responsibility for thousands of former railway structures in 2015 and repairs will be carried out at a specialist workshop.

Some elements may be replaced depending on the severity of corrosion.

In a report submitted with the application, a spokesperson for the applicant’s agent, York-based Jacobs, said: “All three spans have suffered from debris impacts as a result of flooding.

"The substructure, including the bottom chords, tie rods, triangular connectors and cross members are displaced or distorted to varying degrees.

"Ongoing discussions between Jacobs and Scottish Borders Council have agreed that repairs to the structure and replacement elements should be on a ‘like for like’ basis, where practicable.”