End is in sight for Perth bridge’s paint job

Nov 20 2009 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE company tasked with painting Perth’s Queen’s Bridge has pledged the controversial job will be completed by the end of next week.

Brakes were applied to the long-running makeover in the summer, after Perth and Kinross Council’s decision to paint the structure in corporate blue and aqua colours – in time for the city’s 800th anniversary celebrations next year – sparked a public outcry.

And yesterday Ian Gordon, from contractors Moray Blast Cleaning Services, said everything from inclement weather to a humble hanging basket has stopped the original ten-week plan progressing smoothly.

Mr Gordon admitted he was “frustrated” at the time the project was taking, but insisted both sides of the bridge that spans the River Tay would be completed on time to meet their revised schedule.

The manager of the Fochabers-based firm said: “Each side was supposed to take five weeks to complete, and this was to be done in July when the weather was warmer.

“But we were delayed with the issues over the colour, and then we were set back even further when the hanging baskets were put up for Perth in Bloom.

“We were asked by the council to wait until they’d been taken down before we started painting once more – some of the work will have to be done again because it’s been chipped by the baskets knocking against them.

“These things set us back a total of 13 weeks. It’s difficult to do a full day’s painting at this time of year.

“An inspector watches over the painters and, if there is frost in the air – of if it starts to rain – our staff can’t paint.

“One of the reasons is that the companies that supply us don’t want their products to be seen to look damaged.

“The Queen’s Bridge is the 57th bridge we’ve been asked to do and, although it’s not the largest development we’ve undertaken by any means, it’s certainly been one of the most frustrating ones.

“I want to clear up this myth that our men have been sitting twiddling their thumbs, because they haven’t.

“Both sides of the bridge will be finished, on schedule, by the end of next week – and it would’ve been finished a lot sooner if it hadn’t been for the various delays,” he said.