VITAL maintenance and refurbishment work has been taking place on the Tintern Wireworks Bridge, which lies on the border on Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire, to prevent it from becoming unsafe to use.
The bridge is jointly owned by Gloucestershire County Council and Monmouthshire County Council, with Gloucestershire having the responsibility for bridge inspections and maintenance. It was identified as being in poor condition and in need of significant repairs, so refurbishment work got under way in August 2022 to stop it deteriorating further.
Work carried out has included strengthening of the structure and removal of timber decking, which has been replaced with new steel and timber decking.
Some of the work has been delayed because the extremely poor winter weather has impacted on operations at critical times. This has caused delays in completing the painting, removing scaffolding from over the structure and welding.
The final work is planned to be completed as soon as possible and the bridge will then be reopened to pedestrians and cyclists. There is also an agreement in place to allow light vehicles to access individual properties and land on the Gloucestershire side, but it is not suitable for all vehicles to use.
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “It’s good news that work on this iconic bridge is nearing completion. The work has been essential to ensure it will be available for use for many years to come.
“We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused by the delay in reopening and are confident that the fully refurbished and maintained bridge will be open very shortly.”
Cllr Catrin Maby, Monmouthshire County Council’s cabinet member for climate change and the environment, said: “I am pleased to see that this major restoration project is nearing completion. The work undertaken will hopefully safeguard this important bridge for generations to come. We would like to thank residents and visitors for their patience during the works.
”Local Gloucestershire county councillor Chris McFarling said: “I know the closure of the bridge has been inconvenient for people and I would like to thank them for their continuing patience.
“The reopening of the bridge will now fully link those users of the Sedbury to Tintern Greenway, through the Tidenham tunnel for all local communities and visitors, with health benefits including active travel and contributions to local economies.”
Cllr Ann Webb, Monmouthshire County Council’s local member for Tintern, said: “The completion of the refurbishment of this historical bridge will be welcomed by the Tintern community. I hope that the works will be completed for May so that Tintern can benefit from the bank holidays which is always a busy time for tourism. I am delighted that we will soon have the bridge fully restored to its former glory and safe for public use again.”
A webpage containing more information about the scheme can be accessed here: www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/tintern-bridge
