Plans in place to replace bridge in Fife town swamped by flooding three years ago leaving homes under water

A brief is now being finalised for the design consultant to start detailed work for a replacement, and with the full funding now in place, the council has said the construction phase is due to start in 2025-26.

Councillor Rosemary Liewald (SNP for Lochgelly, Cardenden and Benarty) broke news of the project’s progress this week saying she is delighted to see it move forward.

“The Den Burn Bridge replacement project has now been successful in obtaining the £10.5 million needed to go ahead,” she explained. “I have just heard from Fife Council that we presently have £2 million for the construction of the bridge and have recently been successful in obtaining an additional £8.5 million in capital funding for the delivery of the Cardenden flood mitigation scheme.”

Fife Council confirmed that the funding needed to move forward with the bridge replacement is in place. The next phases of the project will involve site investigations, land negotiations, and engagement with public utility providers. The construction phase is programmed to start in 2025-26.

The Den Burn Bridge has been earmarked for replacement since 2020 when severe flooding impacted local residents. It was previously reported that the bridge could not cope with the deluge of water flowing underneath it during a storm in 2020 and it was determined to be a significant factor in the flood that swamped nearby homes with several feet of water.