A 39ft (12m) section of the A-listed Banff Bridge in Aberdeenshire was destroyed on 11 August 2026 when a vehicle struck its parapet, according to police cited by the Herald Scotland. Aberdeenshire Council confirmed the damage and said the crossing would remain open to traffic while engineers assess the full extent of the harm.
The local authority stated that inspections would continue over the coming days before the scale of repairs needed can be determined. In the meantime, officials say the bridge can be used safely under a set of temporary restrictions.
What safety measures are currently in place?
A 20mph speed limit and extra warning signage have been introduced on the approach to the bridge. Concrete barriers were also installed immediately after the collision, which the council said were intended to protect the public and keep traffic moving with minimal disruption. Further restrictions may be added if engineers decide the current setup is not sufficient to manage vehicle flow safely.
Pedestrians have been more directly affected, with the upstream footway shut entirely because the new barriers block safe access. A council spokesperson explained:
The upstream footway has also been closed to pedestrians as the temporary barriers prevent pedestrian access.
What is being investigated?
Alongside the structural assessment, the council is examining whether masonry that fell during the collision affected scour protection work completed at the bridge only weeks earlier. According to the Aberdeenshire Council, a £2.5 million scour protection scheme at Banff Bridge was finished in June 2026, just months before the crash. Officials have not yet said whether that recently completed work sustained any damage.
Police have separately confirmed the collision date and issued an appeal for witnesses. A road policing officer quoted by the Herald Scotland asked anyone with information or dash-cam footage of the incident to come forward, noting the inquiry remains at an early stage.
How does this fit into the council's wider bridge maintenance work?
Documents from Aberdeenshire Council's budget records show that repairs following vehicle strikes on bridge parapets form part of a broader, ongoing programme of reactive bridge maintenance across the region, alongside planned structural works such as the Banff scour scheme.
What happens next?
Police say their investigation into the 11 August 2026 collision is still in its early stages, and they continue to appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage that could help establish how the crash occurred. Aberdeenshire Council has indicated that further inspection results will determine whether additional traffic management measures are required at the bridge in the coming days.
- A 12-metre section of the A-listed Banff Bridge was destroyed in a vehicle collision on 11 August 2026.
- A 20mph limit, extra signage and concrete barriers are in place to keep the bridge open.
- The upstream footway is closed to pedestrians due to the temporary barriers.
- A £2.5 million scour protection scheme at the bridge was completed in June 2026, shortly before the crash.
- Police are investigating and are appealing for witnesses and dash-cam footage.
