RNLILifeboat crews have said the closure of a bridge in a town in Dumfries and Galloway could cause delays to emergency service response times.
Safety concerns following an inspection by structural engineers prompted Dumfries and Galloway Council to close Kirkcudbright Bridge.
The local authority shut the bridge to vehicles at 7pm on Friday.
As a result, a five-mile road diversion has been put in place, which RNLI crews say could delay response times to emergencies, as the route is “frequently used” by volunteers.
They said they will continue to work with Dumfries and Galloway Council to discuss ways to “minimise impact” as a matter of priority.
An RNLI spokesperson said: “The RNLI is aware of the sudden bridge closure in Kirkcudbright and the five-mile road diversion that has been put in place.
“This route is frequently used by our volunteer lifeboat crew in the provision of our lifesaving service and the closure of the bridge could cause delays in lifeboat launch times.
“The Kirkcudbright crew have worked hard to put a mitigation plan in place and we will continue to work with the Dumfries and Galloway Council to ensure any impact is minimised.”
Dumfries and Galloway Council have been contacted for comment.
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