It is October again and this is the wettest month of the year in the Ayrshire calendar. The Dean Park Ford in Kilmarnock has taken its usual casualties over the last 12 months but changes are on the way…

A major development of the Dean Ford is to take place which is costing in the region of £1 million! A new bridge and footpath are to be constructed over the Kilmarnock Water and the work should commence early next year and be completed by 2011.

This work has been a long time coming and not too soon for the emergency services who have been called out to rescue various reckless drivers who do not realise the dangers of crossing the Ford. Even when the depth of the floods appears to be deceptively safe, the speed of the water and the unseen potentially dangerous debris being carried below the surface can prove to be a lethal combination.

Many firefighters have risked their own lives to save motorists who have ignored the various warning and diversion signs so hopefully this will all soon be a thing of the past.

The total expenditure of the whole development project should be offset by the spiraling costs of these life saving services and should also be a welcome improvement for the many frustrated drivers who have to turn around and take the long way to their destination!

In September 2009, it took 22 firefighters as well as police and ambulance personnel to save a driver who failed to notice the flood warning signs at the Ford after an evening of torrential rain and his Volkswagen Golf became waterlogged and stalled as soon as he tried to get across the flooded ford. Two Kilmarnock fire crews, a crew from Dreghorn and a special water rescue unit from Ayr attended the incident and they were there for almost an hour. The driver was saved with no injuries, except to his pride!

URsTV shall keep up-to-date with progress on these improvement works and we shall endeavour to capture some video as the actual works commence next year.