DELAYED for the third time in five months, the construction on the Scott Street bridge in Helena Valley is now set to be completed in “early-March”, Main Roads said.

A transport authority spokesperson said the newest delays, which have seen the works extended by a couple of weeks, were again due to harvest and vehicle movement bans imposed by the Shire of Mundaring.

“The restrictions are out of Main Roads’ control, and this has meant that work has been unable to be undertaken on site during key periods of construction,” the spokesperson said.

February saw Perth experience seven days over 40 degrees, breaking the previous February 2016 record of four days.

Due to the ongoing heat and the associated bushfire risk, between January 15 and February 26, the Shire of Mundaring imposed nine harvest and vehicle movement bans.

“The new completion date is early-March, as outlined on the variable message boards. This timeline factors in predicted bans that we are anticipating over the coming week,” the Main Roads spokesperson said.

The bridge refurbishment began last March and was originally set to be completed by last October. However, as previously reported  in Scott Street bridge construction delays material shortages, inclement weather and additional project scope extended the works until January.

The most recent delays over the last two months have been due to the vehicle movement restrictions and bushfire risks.

Shire of Mundaring chief executive officer Jason Whiteaker said the shire understands the frustrations of the community.

“We empathise with the inconvenience experienced by our residents and businesses and acknowledge the frustration surrounding the delays in the contractor meeting the initially estimated timeframe for completion,” he said.