A number of bridges within Denbighshire will be undergoing improvement works this summer.
In the north of the county, preparations are well underway to appoint a contractor for the construction phase of the iconic footpath and cycle bridge across the Foryd Harbour. The bridge, costing £4.4 million has a £450,000 contribution from the Big Lottery Fund through Sustrans and the remainder is funded from the European Regional Development Fund and the Welsh Government.
In May, work will also begin on painting the soffit underneath the Foryd Road Bridge (Blue Bridge) in Rhyl, as well as some repairs to the concrete approach spans.
In the south of the county, work is due to begin to replace the small stone bridge at Pont Eyarth Uchaf, south of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd. Engineers will be consulting directly with local residents throughout the duration of the works as a road closure will be required.
Work is due to start in July on Pont Glan y Wern, which connects Denbigh and Llandyrnog across the River Clwyd. A recent structural assessment has found that work needs to be carried out to maintain the bridge’s strength. The majority of the work will be carried out underneath the bridge and motorists should expect minimal disruption.
Again in July, work will begin on Pont Cilan, west of Llandrillo, to improve the structural condition of the arches. Unfortunately the road will have to be closed while work is done underneath the bridge. Investigations will also continue to find a suitable solution to a recent structural assessment of the bridge, which found it needs to be strengthened to bring it up to modern day load requirements. The bridge is very unusual with stone cantilevered sections forming part of it’s deck and the finished design, which will require approval from CADW, will go as far as possible to protect the historical value of the bridge.
Three other bridges: Pont Dafydd in St Asaph, Pont Ruffydd near Bodfari and Pont Cynwyd will also be given added protection from scouring caused by the rivers they cross.
In August, the Bodafon Bridge in Llanrhaeadr will be strengthened but it is expected that this will cause little disruption to road users as the majority of the work will be on the underside of the bridge.
In September, work is expected to begin on strengthening Miller Bridge in Llangollen. The bridge crosses the Llangollen Canal between the Bryn Howel Hotel and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. Unfortunately this work means the road will be closed for up to two weeks.
Finally, in October, Berwyn Railway Bridge and Pont Llwyn Onn, Glyndyfrdwy, will be strengthened and some additional works to the Llanerch Railway bridge will be carried out so that the weight restriction can be lifted.
Bob Humphreys, Denbighshire’s section manager for bridges and structures, said: “We have a number of schemes coming up over the summer period. The works are essential to ensure the structural integrity of the Bridges however we will be making every effort to keep disruption to a minimum, some of them will require road closures and we would like to thank people in advance for their patience.”
