Aberdeen suspension bridge has been raising eyebrows among councillors as it is announced the renovation work will cost £995,000.

The money will go to reopen the Wellington Bridge on Riverside Drive to pedestrians and cyclists. The original estimate was a relatively modest £776,000; the new figure of nearly one million is forcing the Aberdeen council to rethink the project entirely.

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The renovation work was first surveyed by Glasgow based MacKenzie Construction who originally estimated the £776,000 figure. But costs began to escalate after the contractor realised working on the ancient structure was much more complex than originally supposed.

The Bridge, which links Riverside Drive in Ferryhill with the bank of Craiglug and Torry, was built in 1829 and has been closed since March 2002. The Bridge is a Category A Listed Building and one of only two listed ancient structures in Aberdeen, the other being the Brig o' Dee.

The council is planning to write to Historic Scotland to appeal for funding and allow work on the structure to go ahead.

(DW/JM)