A BRIDGE replacement scheme in the Rhondda is set to be finished in the next fortnight.
The Maindy Road bridge scheme in Ton Pentre, which people said had caused terrible traffic in the area when it started, is now entering its final weeks around six weeks ahead of the original schedule, the council has said.
The bridge replacement at B4223 Maindy Road, near the police station and just south of the junction with The Parade, started in late July and at the time local people described the impact the scheme was having on local traffic, saying it is “terrible” going through Ton Pentre.
One business owner said it was taking half an hour longer to deliver to Treorchy but others said there had been no impact on traffic in Treorchy itself.
The council said the structure is in a very poor condition and requires a bridge deck replacement – a process complicated by the presence of key utility apparatus for water, electricity, gas and fibre optic connections, which need to be diverted by other agencies.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said positive progress has been made following the shift to seven-days-a-week working after completion of utility diversions, and it confirmed that the main scheme is expected to be finished in the week commencing Monday, November 13, depending on the weather.
The remaining work to be done by the council’s contractor over the next few weeks includes installing the bridge parapets – which will be followed by the reinstatement of the road over the bridge and the adjacent footway.
The council said that the contractor remains committed to speeding up elements of the scheme where it is possible.
The council said it will give another update to confirm an exact completion date, as well as the arrangements to reopen the bridge section of Maindy Road to all traffic and pedestrians.
It also said residents should be aware that, as the bridge replacement is so far ahead of the original schedule, ongoing work by Wales & West Utilities will continue to need limited traffic management after the council’s work is complete and this will be north of the bridge, to complete essential gas main protection work.
The council said: “Thanks to residents, road users and the wider community for your continued cooperation as the necessary bridge replacement enters its final stages.”
