An official opening ceremony will be held at the splendid new five-metre wide Dighty Bridge at Monifieth on Sunday 3 March as part of a programme of fun and activities.
Dundee and Angus Cycle Hub will be on hand near to the bridge to provide a host of fun cycling activities for all to enjoy between 11am until 3pm.
Hundreds, if not thousands of people have already walked, cycled and wheeled their way across the bridge since it opened shortly before Christmas. Now springtime will hopefully provide a perfect setting to formally mark Dighty Bridge’s completion with a midday ribbon-cutting ceremony and with it the continuation of the multi-million-pound active travel route between Broughty Ferry and Monifieth.
Angus and Dundee City councils worked in close partnership to deliver this important upgrading of part of the National Cycle Network Route 1 (NCN 1). With positive responses so far, the Broughty Ferry and Monifieth Active Travel Improvement project team are confident the new bridge will continue to receive thumbs-ups from the many regular users of the previous bridge and attract many others to the coastal path.
Funded by the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland's Places for Everyone programme, the coastal path project is designed to provide a continuous off-road route between Dundee and Monifieth to create a better, safer environment for people to walk, cycle and wheel, and to encourage locals and visitors to enjoy a healthier lifestyle through active travel.
Angus Council’s Communities Convener, Cllr Mark McDonald said: “It is fantastic to see the results of the work to replace the old bridge. It was no longer fit for purpose and this five-metre-wide new bridge will serve our communities for years to come.
“There will be no more squeezing past folk on a narrow gangway – people can now walk, wheel and cycle at leisure, and perhaps stop to take in the magnificent coastal scenery, or even admire the new Dighty Bridge.
“Congratulations to everyone who has worked to achieve this important part of the wider coastal path project and I invite our local communities in Broughty Ferry and Monifieth to come and appreciate the fruits of that labour on 3 March.”
Dundee City Council convener of Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure Cllr Steven Rome said: “This impressive new bridge is the result of a partnership between ourselves and colleagues in Angus and is a crucial component of the overall project.
“The benefits of cycling and walking for our health and our environment are undeniable and I am so pleased that the new structure is making those activities easier on this section over the Dighty.
“I would encourage as many people as possible to come to the opening event and enjoy this new facility. It is so exciting to see elements of this transformational initiative now coming on stream.”
Places for Everyone’s Head of Programme for Sustrans, Simon Strain said:
“The completion of the new Dighty Bridge is a huge achievement for Broughty Ferry and Monifieth. Its convenient and accessible design means more people than ever will be able to walk, wheel and cycle between the two communities with ease. The bridge also serves as a coastal keystone for National Cycle Network Route 1, tying in neatly with the new 2.5 mile path and nearby flood protection works.”
“Thank you to all those who took part in helping us reach this important milestone. I look forward to joining the opening celebrations Sunday 3 March and hope to see many others there too.”
Hundreds of people in Broughty Ferry and Monifieth had their say on draft concept designs for improving the coastal path during a consultation for the Places for Everyone Programme between late 2019 and early 2020. Included, were improvements to the beach access, as well as links between the coast and the towns.
The exercise found overwhelming support for the multi-million-pound proposals, with more than three-quarters of people in favour of the designs that were presented. Comments on the draft have been used by the project team to help influence the plans and implementation of the scheme going forward.